Tales of Earth-X
by Writer207
Summary: Earth-X, the Earth so horrible it has no number. Citizens, resembling the inhabitants of Earth-1 and Earth-38, live under the strict regime of the New Reich, inspiring patriots and rebels alike. Sometimes they resemble their other-Earthly counterparts, but more often than not they are very different and are living different lives. (T because Earth-X)
1. Part I: vigilantes

**This is a cross-over between Flash, Arrow, Supergirl and DC's Legends of Tomorrow, based upon the crossover "Crisis on Earth-X".**

 **The entirety of the story will take place on Earth-X. I do not, nor will I ever support nazism, but** **the nature of the story does require me to dive deep into the heads of those characters who are nazis, especially after part one. I do not agree with their ideals nor their beliefs; I am merely trying to write an entertaining story with a strong sense of good vs. evil.**

* * *

Dearest readers,

Life on Earth-X can be hard, especially for someone like me, who has hopped dimensions. For safety reasons I cannot tell you my name, but if you must, refer to me as Elias.

How did I get on Earth-X? Where did I originally come from? What is my age? I'm afraid none of this information is relevant. All I can tell you is that I arrived when the New Reich's most fearful leaders were only children and that it pained me to see them being raised in these hostile environments, being taught to be just as twisted as those who came before. I watched them grow into adults, I watched them cross the border between worlds, and I experienced the aftermath of the Reich's defeat on this side. Nobody returned and those who stayed behind, had to see their world fall apart. The rebels took charge and changed this world for the better. It is going to take some time to clean up the mess the New Reich has left behind, but the future is looking brighter than before.

If all is well, this document should have reached you on Earth-41. What you are about to read, is a culmination of my experiences as a citizen of Earth-X. I want to make clear that I am not clairvoyant and that information I shouldn't otherwise know about has been taken by reviewing security cameras (with the CCPD's permission), obtaining recordings of conversations or interviewing those few who wanted to share their story.

There will be separate parts within this document, describing certain events that have happened to certain people. I will start with the "vigilante" part of the history, named after the variety of unsung heroes and others who bravely stood up against the reign of the New Reich one way or another.

However, please do keep in mind that I am first and foremost a historian. If you are looking for overly flowery language and well-crafted fictional storylines, you should not start here. I have merely recorded certain events I believed to either be relevant or important for the development of one or multiple characters within the New Reich.

Due to unforeseen events, I will never be able to get back home. But the least I can do is to share the stories and the history of the most feared Earth in the multiverse and hopefully nuance that, unlike what many believe, this Earth is not entirely made up of fanatics.

Fare well, and tread with care,  
Elias Jensen


	2. District Attorney

Justin Claybourne is everything but an honorable man, and as such, he fits right in with the elite of Star City. The CEO of Claybourne Pharmaceuticals only wanted what was best for his family. He had worked hard to reach the top, to lead one of the best companies in the city. Everyone uses the drugs he produces, no matter the costs, and this has kept him in Star City.

His big masterpiece was going to be a medicine for tuberculosis. They cost around ten dollars a pill, but that was going to change soon. Justin Claybourne had asked his operatives to weaponize tuberculosis, and they did. After releasing the virus, the price of these pills would increase a hundredfold. It was the quickest way of becoming a billionaire and becoming a part of the super elite.

But most of all, Justin had grown tired of working even the minimal hours. He looked forward to spending more time with his family, once the virus was released and he had enough money to last him and his next of kin until their deaths. Half of their time they would be in Star City, the other half they would spend in their second home on the island of Hawaii. Life wouldn't just be good anymore, it'd be great.

However, his secret activities had come to the attention of the New Reich. They did not see a corrupt businessman, but someone who specifically targeted the inhabitants of Star City, most of whom were hard-working white citizens of the Reich.

Dark Arrow, just a few months shy of becoming the new Führer, paid Claybourne a visit the night before the virus was set to be released.

Justin Claybourne, after a long night, wandered on the balcony on the roof of his office building. He leaned against the safety railing and looked down and took a deep breath, a smile on his lips. He remained there for a couple of minutes before turning to go back inside.

His way had been blocked by the Dark Arrow, having appeared in a mask and full costume. He had drawn his bow, an arrow placed on it. It pointed at Justin's throat. Standing just four yards apart, there was no way the Dark Arrow would miss. Dark Arrow never missed.

Claybourne glanced in the air and later sighed. The archer's girlfriend was nowhere to be seen. I can imagine it must have been comforting to know only one half of the New Reich's power-couple had bothered to show up. It wasn't an improvement per se, but seeing one of them was considerably less terrifying as facing the both of them.

"Justin Claybourne," the young man in the mask declared, "You have failed the Reich."

"But I'm obeying the law!" Claybourne protested. "I'm–"

Dark Arrow released the arrow. Claybourne staggered backward, the arrow lodged in his throat, and fell over the railing. Bystanders yelped when the body smashed into the concrete sidewalk down below. Some of them recognized his face, but they left the body where it lay. The man was dead, there was nothing they could do except to call someone to clean up the mess.

The next day, Mr. Merlyn acquired the tuberculosis virus. The following week, he released it in Africa.

You might wonder why this man is included in this part. I have included this particular story because it serves as the prologue to the story of Claybourne's illegitimate son. His name is Simon Morrison and he wasn't in Star City at the time of his father's death – he learned of it the next day through the news.

His last name was never Claybourne. Instead, he grew up with the last name of his mother's husband, who did lift a finger to help and raise him after learning he wasn't Simon's father. Simon always did have a better bond with Claybourne, who had wanted to name him the heir to his pharmaceutical empire. His son agreed.

Simon saw no fault in his father's plans. He had known beforehand the virus was meant to only target those areas where the rebels and vigilantes and not the entirety of Star City. Instead, he blamed the Dark Arrow and his misinformation source for his father's demise. As soon as Simon heard the news of his father's death, he disappeared. Simon Morrison was no more.

* * *

The courtroom was in a state of excitement, all eyes carefully watching Clyde Mardon. This meta-human from Central City had committed several crimes all over Star City until the police caught him. Since his crimes weren't against any authorities or persons affiliated with the New Reich, Mardon appealed to his right to have a trial.

Mardon got what he wanted. He pleaded not guilty and for months, his lawyer tried to convince the judge meta-humans should have the right to train their powers individually and anonymously, without the Reich's intervention. New Reich facilities were good, but some meta-humans – like Mardon – did not want to sacrifice their anonymity for a decent training. Often, these metas wanted to stay law-abiding citizens without being prejudiced against because of their powers.

The judge declared Mardon guilty and sentenced him to ten years in prison, without the possibility of an early release.

Cameras flashed and journalists rose to ask all sorts of questions. Mardon was taken away by the policemen for his drive to Iron Heights, but not before he could sneak one last comment to his lawyer, lost in the noise of the courtroom.

His lawyer, also known as District Attorney Adrien Chase, had a soft spot for defending metas who became criminals. He often found himself defending these hopeless cases, mostly because nobody else took them. As such he became a thorn in the New Reich's side.

Adrien's name was on the Reich's hit list, but they could not kill him. One reason was that the Reich did not want to risk riots in Star City and Central City protesting the death of their beloved meta-human lawyer. The second reason was his political immunity. As a District Attorney, he worked for the New Reich in a public office, which granted him his immunity for as long as he held that office. The New Reich couldn't hold him accountable for the cases he defended and they couldn't kill him for it.

Because they couldn't harm him, the New Reich turned to his friends and family. They killed his girlfriend, and a young girl named Evelyn whom he had inadvertently inspired to become a vigilante. Adrien always reacted publicly to these deaths, hoping to send the message that he knew how they died and hoping to remember them.

Adrien Chase did not have a happy life and even if he had, the Reich would have taken those good moments from him. The one positive was that the Reich and its citizens had no idea he was Justin Claybourne's illegitimate son. Claybourne's name was dragged through the mud when he died and they discredited him in every way that they could. The company went bankrupt, anyone with the same last name changed it or asserted they were not related to the deceased traitor. The Reich also kept a close look at any pharmaceutical companies, to make sure they wouldn't make the same mistake. Despite multiple efforts made, they never could find Justin Claybourne's immediate family.

They never found Adrien because he covered his tracks extremely well. As far as the state was concerned, one Simon Morrison had never even existed. Adrien Chase, on the other hand, had never been more alive. He had a birth certificate, a diploma and a Master's Degree in Law; his parents had gravestones in his hometown. Deleting Simon Morrison from the internet as harder, but doable. Until the New Reich acquired someone who is skilled in using a computer, Simon would not resurface soon.

Adrien Chase survived the fall of the New Reich. With the majority of the New Reichsmen gone or deceased, the more open-minded people of Star City declared him their new Mayor. Chase kindly accepted a candidacy for a mayoral election and encouraged citizens of Star City to run as well, so the process would be fairer. In response, three more candidates rose. It led to the first fully democratic elections in a long time. Adrien would eventually lose, but he confirmed he was more than happy being the District Attorney and he endorsed the newly elected Mayor.

* * *

Adrien Chase, throughout the multiverse, is no good man. Most of his doppelgängers have taken up arms against their enemies, and their vengeance has led them on a path of destruction. I pray the Simon Morrison/Adrien Chase on your Earth will stay anonymous throughout his life. This man is similar to the Chases of the multiverses in the sense that he chose to follow up on his vengeance.

However, as you may have noticed, there are key differences, too. Mr. Chase never took up any physical weapons, not even after his father's death. He never let the quest for revenge consume him. He never became a serial killer or a monster capable of killing a loved one who knew too much. That is one of the reasons he made the shortlist of vigilantes.

His attacks against the New Reich are unique, having chosen a way that none of the other vigilantes in this document have chosen. He never outright battles the New Reichsmen in a glorious fight to the death. No, Adrien Chase became a District Attorney and often acted as the lawyer of those individuals the Reich would either see dead or on their side. Trials made the time of his clients are free men longer and Adrien more often than not publicized them and allowed the press in, which meant the Reich couldn't do anything without cameras flashing. Yes, the media is on the Reich's side, but even the people would see the pattern of Mr. Chase's clients dropping dead during the trial, they'd draw conclusions which would not have favored the Reich.

But I digress.

Instead of turning to weapons, Adrien Chase turned to his mind. Luckily for him, the Reich never had the chance to attack his mind.


	3. Sister

The next vigilante story begins in Midvale, South Carolina. For as long as this family lived in this nice town, they had been grateful and good. It was far away from the bigger _Reichstädte_ , such as National City and Star City, but its influence on the United States stayed strong. The Danvers family was loyal to the cause, as were most good citizens. The head of the family, Jeremiah Danvers, worked for the New Reich. He often worked for and together with Winslow Schott, and as such, he rose to fame and gained the privilege of spending three months per year with his family, should he want to. He took this offer and spends his summers in Midvale, traveling back to Star City for work.

His daughter, Alex Danvers, was a normal girl albeit a bit secluded because of her father's fame. Despite being the odd one out, not being as girly as her female friends, she was a good person and was surrounded by kids wanting to be her friend because of her father. She did not mind it, and enjoyed the company, even though they seemed to keep an emotional distance.

Even as a child, she had made plans for the future. She knew exactly what she was going to do, and where. However, that all changed when the Kryptonian arrived.

The young girl was about Alex's age and could have easily been a gift from God. Piercing blue eyes, blond hair and – even though Alex did not realize this – naïve and young enough to still be indoctrinated. Jeremiah had set out to kill the alien, as is the norm, but when he saw her, he took her back home to Midvale.

The alien human-like girl was welcomed with open arms. She introduced herself to the Danvers family as "Kara of the house El" and continuously asked about her cousin Kal-El. After learning she is the only one of her species that crashed on Earth, Alex interpreted Kara's feelings as 'having lost all purpose'. It was hard to read her emotions, but the way she had been speaking on Kal-El – as if he couldn't take care of himself – made Alex believe Kara had been sent with him as his protector.

Jeremiah took the crying girl into his arms and Kara held him tightly, though it felt strange. Alex would never forget what Jeremiah told her next.

"Weep, but do not forget. Family is important. You can stay with us if you'd like. We'll be your family and you will be our own."

The distraught girl accepted his offer, and from that day forward, she was no longer Kara Zor-El. She was Kara Danvers.

Alex was overjoyed to have a sister. Kara was happy to have someone of her age to talk to. They exchanged stories, but it always ended with Kara telling Alex of Krypton. Alex eased Kara into her new life and informed her of Earth's customs, introducing the idea of the New Reich early on and Kara not thinking twice about it.

With Kara, Alex' popularity skyrocketed and was only rivaled by Kara's. Everyone wanted to talk to the perfect new girl and to Alex' annoyance, Kara allowed them to do just that. By the end of the first week, everyone in school had talked to Kara and Kara considered everyone as friendly acquaintances.

One day was even more perfect than those first five days. The sisters and some classmates went to the beach. Alex couldn't help but smile when Kara stared in awe as the ocean waves crashed into the sand. But a car accident happened, and Kara immediately responded. While saving the old man, she unleashed her super strength, flight and heat vision, and she revealed herself to the world.

Videos of her heroic acts went viral. By the time evening fell, there wasn't a person in the United States who hadn't heard of the meta who had three different abilities.

The next day, a New Reich official visited the house. Jeremiah introduced his daughters to the guest. Alex already knew this man, but Kara did not. He did not intimidate Alex anymore, but Kara hid from the guest behind her adopted father. Alex stood by and watched the scene unfold.

"Kara," Jeremiah said, "I want you to meet Mr. Merlyn." He nudged her forward – Kara was still shy and uncomfortable around new people. Eventually, Kara extended her hand, which Malcolm shook.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," she said politely.

Malcolm laughed. "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Danvers." He let go of the hand but kept his eyes on her. "Do you know why I'm here?"

Kara shook her head.

"That's okay," Merlyn said, squatting down to eye-height of the girl. "I'll explain."

The Danvers sisters listened attentively to every word he said. Malcolm explained how Kara was special, how she shouldn't hide her astonishing powers, because one day she could become one of the most powerful people of the New Reich, if not the most powerful. With powers like yours, he'd said, "you will be a god living amongst men". He then formally invited her to study in Star City, where she would attend classes from the best professors the New Reich can provide and she'd received the best training imaginable. As soon as she'd come of age, Kara would be well-educated and she'll have mastered most, if not all of her abilities. Most importantly, she'd be schooled with other kids who have abilities. She'd be introduced to people who were almost like her.

"What about Alex?" Kara asked.

"She can come, too," Malcolm promised, "I have a daughter who doesn't have powers who receives the same training. The both of you will become the warriors this country desperately needs."

That was all Kara and Alex needed to hear. The next week, they left behind Midvale and the family moved to Star City.

The sisters enjoyed their education and both girls grew up to be self-confident women who ought to be respected by everyone who saw them. Though the sisters grew apart, their bond remained strong. During school hours, they stuck with their respective departments: meta and non-meta. Alex befriended the few children who trained with her and found herself gravitating towards Sara Lance. Alex could never quite put her finger on the reason why she liked Sara so much, but she never thought too long about it. Before she could, the next class would start, and she and her classmates were expected to do their very best.

The sisters graduated with flying colors, and their classes became the first members of the newly instates New Reichsmen. Their department would be dealing with meta-human threats and criminal activity. In the future, 'destroying the resistance' was added to that list.

Kara Danvers, now a confident woman who is to be feared and loved, was chosen to become the head of the New Reichsmen, while Alex would focus on alien activity around the globe, joining the D.E.O. shortly before their merger with A.R.G.U.S. Alex would be taking care of alien threats to the Reich.

Working for different departments, the Danvers sisters did not see each other as much as they were used to. Although they missed each other dearly, they knew their duty towards the Reich was more important than seeing each other. Some might say that, if the sisters had just spoken every once in a while, none of the following would have happened. In my humble opinion, it would have happened regardless of their interactions.

* * *

Nobody can truly say when the downfall of Alex Danvers started, but "nobody" did not have her personality in mind. I have a strong suspicion it started with the death of Sara Lance. It was shocking and disturbing, and of course, everyone knew what happened. Killed by her own father, after kissing a woman – one of her personal bodyguards, no less. Because it was the Black Canary, every news outlet jumped on the story and dragged it until Oliver Queen asked the media to step down and focus on something else.

When Alex first learned of Sara's death, she broke down in tears. She stayed at home, made herself a ton of coffee and drank it all, eating ice cream in front of the television to drown her sorrow. The next morning she would go back to work, but she had given herself one day to mourn. Even after hearing that Sara had started the kiss with that woman, Alex mourned. She couldn't help it, but she did feel bad. She shouldn't be upset a lesbian had died – she shouldn't shed tears for someone like that. But deep down, she did. She had cared deeply about Sara, more so than she ever thought. They had kept in touch even after school. Alex had been present at Sara's engagement party, Sara had shown up at Alex' work one day. They still had managed to see each other frequently, more frequently than Alex and Kara did.

That day, Alex discovered a horrible truth about herself: she had liked Sara more than a friend. She had fallen in love with her. As a New Reich operative, that was a problem.

She kept this secret under wraps. She convinced herself it was just a phrase, that she was only feeling emotional over the death of a friend, that it was nothing serious. When asked, she condemned Sara in public, but in private she still mourned and missed her. Alex did what she had to do and worked harder than ever, even if aliens were not always friendly and calm and willing to cooperate.

Some aliens had come into contact with the NCPD. Somehow, aliens were drawn to a life in National City, and that was where Alex would stay half of the time. She aided the police department with A.R.G.U.S. and D.E.O. information, while they handed her mugshots, confessions and other information she might need.

In National City, she met Maggie, the second woman who stole her heart. Again Alex managed to convince herself Maggie was a good friend and she never dared to admit she loved the woman. Maggie, on the other hand, didn't mind discussing her sexuality with Alex after knowing each other for two months. Once she'd come out to her, Alex did not tell anyone. She had wanted to report Maggie but never did. She did not want to sell out a friend like that, even if it was the right thing to do.

But the news got out. Maggie had drunkenly brought it up with a colleague, who immediately arrested her. That was the official story – Alex did not believe it for a second, because Maggie wouldn't be so careless as to reveal her big secret after drinking alcohol.

Alex was at the D.E.O. in Star City when the news got out. Someone confronted her about her contact with Maggie, and Alex was forced to denounce Maggie immediately and for everyone to hear. The day went well, but as she got home, Alex mourned and she started to have dangerous thoughts. She thought Maggie didn't deserve it. She'd been a law-abiding citizen and loyal to the New Reich. Why punish a woman who did everything right and tried to keep her nation safe? Alex thought loving someone of the same gender shouldn't be considered a crime if they were serving the Reich well.

Alex came to work with a different mindset the next day. She had lost two women she cared deeply about and she had learned that it did not matter who you loved – heterosexuality is the default, and people fear something that deviates from that default. Also, Alex was convinced that she, too, was a lesbian, and she embraced her true nature. Unlike Maggie, she never spoke about it. She had gotten into the habit of writing her thoughts and feelings on a piece of paper, burning it immediately afterward. Nobody ever read what she wrote down, and her secret was safe.

Over the years, she had risen to the position of Director of the DEO. The jobs had its benefits, such as an encrypted email address nobody could hack. Alex also figured out that her emails were untraceable and could only be read by the person she sent an email to.

While she was Director, she received information about the resistance. Earlier, she had figured out one guy on her floor was working for the resistance, but she had kept this secret. By now, Oliver Queen had become the Führer and the New Reich was going in a more conservative direction, going as far as wanting to segregate the blacks again. He wanted to use them to snuff out the resistance. Alex hated the idea but did not speak up.

One day, Alex decided she had had enough and sent the employee an email with detailed information about how they could stay hidden from A.R.G.U.S. on the internet. The guy did not mail her back, but after that day, the resistance was suspiciously quiet on the internet and they were less likely to be discovered. Alex had done well.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one who could read her emails. In order to assess whether there were any threats from inside the New Reich departments, Kara Danvers had access to all worker files and emails, including her sister's. Kara read the email.

* * *

It was raining that evening, and Alex sat on the couch of her apartment, watching reruns of her favorite TV show to keep her mind off of work for a moment. there stood a cup of hot cocoa on the table in front of her and she was dressed to go to bed shortly after the episode would end.

Alex glanced to the right and almost jumped up. Kara Danvers had come to visit her, having taken the liberty to enter unannounced through the balcony. She wore her dark New Reichsmen uniform but had decided against putting on the mask for this visit. She stared at Alex with feigned indifference. (Mind you, this sudden apparition could scare even the bravest of souls. Oliver Queen himself once admitted that he was sometimes scared to death of Overgirl, adding it meant she was great at her job.)

Alex immediately took note of the wardrobe choice and the harsh look on Kara's face, one she'd never used on Alex before.

"It's good to see you." Alex stood up from the couch, holding her hands together. A hint of a smile appeared on her face. "It's been too long."

"Is it true?" Kara asked. Alex took a deep breath and averted her eyes, but did not answer. Kara took a step in her direction.

"Alex, is it true?" Eventually, Alex nodded.

"I'm sorry," she said. Kara's face softened only slightly, looking at Alex with pity. She had given herself the assignment to take Alex in. Yet, now her sister stood before her… she rather wanted to give Alex a second chance than to bring her in without giving her a chance to defend herself.

"I can help you," Kara said, grabbing Alex's shoulders. "Come with me. Tell them they forced your hand. Tell them they threatened your life. Tell them what they want to hear, and I promise, they won't harm you."

'They' referred to the New Reichsmen, who were more than happy to make sure another traitor would die. lying to them was the only way out of this mess, and they would have to believe it because Kara wouldn't let them investigate.

In other words, Alex would have been wise to accept. Though I can imagine that if she accepted the offer, she would have been watched more closely than ever. She would have to sacrifice her privacy to the New Reich and be their puppet until the end of her days. That was what usually happened to traitors who cooperated and who successfully sold the New Reichsmen investigative committee their lies.

Alex shook her head, tears welling up in her eyes. "I can't." Sara Lance and Maggie Sawyer came to mind. "I'm sorry, Kara, I can't."

Kara nodded once, understanding that Alex could not be persuaded to take the offer. She thrust her hand in Alex's chest and pulled out her heart. It rested in her hand for a while and only after Alex had passed away and her body dropped to the floor, Kara tossed aside the heart as if it wasn't a big deal and left.

Later, a team would come to clean up the mess. The news would report it as an act of the rebels, as to increase the hatred for the resistance and lower the chances of anyone showing them sympathy. Someone loyal to the New Reich, a man named Hank Henshaw, took her position as the Director of the D.E.O. The contact person she had sent the message to has been taken to a concentration camp, where they lasted two weeks before dying.

Nobody spoke of Alex again.

* * *

I wished to include this particular event since this is a perfect reflection of the world these people live in. Even those who have grown up to become the next generation of the New Reich elite can fall, even if that is difficult. Those who are part of the elite and who do not have any intention of changing their ways are ruthless killers. They show no mercy towards the rebels and other people who break the rules and who show even the slightest amount of sympathy for the resistance.

Alex Danvers may have only sent one email, but it changed everything. She was the reason that so many rebels could surf the web and counter the New Reich's propaganda without being outed. She saved many people and gave them their digital privacy back. She knew what she was doing, acting with a clear mind. Her recently changed moral compass made it impossible for her to accept Kara's offer.

Often, my mind wanders and the image of Ms. Danvers standing up to her older sister. It reminds me that some people have the courage to stare the authorities in the eye and say 'no', unlike me. It reminds me that those who were raised to become the authority can learn to disagree with everything their mentors taught them. And that is important to remember.


	4. Elongated

Earth-X is one of many Earths inhabited by meta-humans - or 'metas' for short. Though, I will have to make a distinction. These metas are mixed-group. This means they weren't only created, such as on Earth-1, and neither were they only born with powerful abilities like on Earth-29. Unlike anywhere else in the multiverse, this Earth has a healthy amount of metas from each category. I will be referring to the collective group, not the separate sub-categories, but it is good to know there is a difference between these so-called natural metas and created metas.

The latter group received their powers when the Central City particle accelerator exploded. Because of this, Central City has been dubbed the "meta-human capital". These individuals, unlike the natural metas, are not stable and have little to no control over their abilities. They are more likely to be caught by the police and coveted by the New Reich.

The authorities built a training facility in the middle of Central City, where once S.T.A.R. Labs stood. About half of the new metas would join this new academy; those who did not, went into hiding, living as an outlaw. Few of those have chosen to ally themselves with the resistance, as most are too busy trying to stay alive to help anyone else.

But this isn't about one of those outlaws. This is about a New Reich enthusiast with the power to shape the future who changed his mind.

* * *

Ralph Dibny's life was anything but extraordinary. He never did truly shine or stand op out. Struggling into adulthood and getting a job as a CSI at the Central City police department, he never thought he was special and neither did anyone around him. He was just plain old Ralph: a normal guy with a normal life and normal friends.

Normal was fine by him. He did not need to stand out or draw much attention to himself, as others his age would. Ralph was happy to live an ordinary life in an otherwise extraordinary world.

Then, the particle accelerator exploded, changing the lives of many. Ralph was at home when this happened. He had been watching TV when the loud thunder startled him. Outside the window, a yellow-orangey lightning shockwave came towards him.

It was a sight to behold. It was the most beautiful and terrifying phenomenon he had ever witnessed. When the shockwave hit the apartment building, the blast threw him to the other side of the room. It did not knock him out, but he didn't do anything substantial that evening. Only when he sneezed the next morning did he know something was horribly wrong with him, as Ralph himself so eloquently put it.

He was not the only one who was affected by the particle accelerator explosion. The Reich visited everyone in the blast radius and found him, saving him from his sorry state. They had to carry him out of the apartment and into an ambulance, which then drove to the nearest crisis center.

Ralph was so grateful they "fixed him", he did not care how he repaid them. So when they opened the newest training facility a month after the explosion, Ralph was one of the first to sign up. The Reich publicized this event and even had Ralph and others record reaction videos, which they used to recruit more newly created metas to the Academy.

During the five months be stayed there, he made a lot of new friends. There were few whose abilities freaked him out, like Mystique, and others were freaked out by what he could do. These months have also been informative, as he learned a lot about his abilities. He was resistant to everything, but acid and electric shocks; he could stretch his body in various ways and in different shapes; bullets ricocheted off of him and punches did not hurt him; his vocal chords can be manipulated to sound like someone else; and with the help of his powers, he can transform into a different person. Dr. Snow had given him a scientific and biological explanation for his abilities, but he did not really listen. He was content knowing how to use and control his powers, he had not signed up for a biology class.

As a way of experimenting, he thought it was a good idea to change himself into one of the trainers and go about the facility freely. After so much progress, he deserved a free walk around the Academy. Izzy Bowin, a good friend of his who could control sound and use it as a weapon, disagreed with his plan but never mentioned it to anyone. After all, Ralph just wanted to take a walk in the restricted areas of the Academy out of sheer curiosity – it was not his fault he happened to listen to a confidential conversation.

While a disguised Ralph walked around the facility, he came across Dr. Snow. She stood outside her office and talked to a very special guest. Upon seeing him, Ralph panicked and hid behind a corner, enabling him to hear the conversation between Dr. Snow and her guest, Blitzkrieg.

Blitzkrieg usually stayed on other continents, traveling far and wide for the New Reich and keeping in touch with Deutschland at the same time. These new recruits, all coming from his native city, have piqued his interest, and this impromptu visit was sparked by hearing of one extraordinary recruit among the many average ones.

Blitzkrieg read through the reports that Dr. Snow had given him. he stood in a relaxed pose, taking his sweet time to go through them, while Dr. Snow had her arms folded and constantly shifted her weight from one leg to another, nervously biting her lip and glancing from his face to the documents and back again.

Blitzkrieg paused at one particular document. "Are these all the test results?" he did not look up from the documents.

"Yes," Dr. Snow said as confidently as possible. Blitzkrieg wasn't bothered by her nervous attitude – he had that effect on people. "I tested everything twice. There's no doubt about it, he is invincible."

Blitzkrieg paused and looked up from the papers. He put them back into a neat pile while he watched Dr. Snow. If she had any confidence before, it all melted away when their eyes met.

"Electric shocks and acid," Blitzkrieg said in a flat tone. He shoved the documents into her hands. " _Nearly_ invincible."

Dr. Snow opened her mouth and she stammered out some incomprehensible sounds that almost formed words before she stopped. Blitzkrieg raised an eyebrow.

"Acid can burn through any materials," Dr. Snow eventually said at a much slower pace, "but a suit built with the right materials block most electric impulses."

Blitzkrieg nodded approvingly – this gave Dr. Snow some of her confidence back.

"How about the morality tests?"

"He is still grateful," she said, still sounding hesitant, "and gratitude is a powerful tool. He is a loyal person, but his loyalties lie with his friends and family and not with the Reich."

"Not _yet_ , you mean," Blitzkrieg corrected her. He spoke in a tolerant way but still added a subtly threatening tone. "What do you suspect Dibny will do if we confront him directly?"

"I'm… not sure," Dr. Snow responded after a couple of moments of thought. "Perhaps an indirect course of action will persuade him more easily."

Silence fell for a few seconds, while Blitzkrieg formulated a plan in his head.

"Does he have any close friends or relatives he mentioned?"

"He seems close to Izzy Bowin," Dr. Snow said. she did not need to mention what powers she possessed – Blitzkrieg had been interested in the new metas since they were created, especially because of the location where all of them popped up.

"How much progress has she made?"

"We, er…" Dr. Snow weighed her words carefully before answering. "We expected more of her. the last two months, she hasn't gotten any better, but given the right motivation, I am convinced that she can still—"

"Don't worry, Ms. Snow," Blitzkrieg said. "I will take care of Dibny, and you can take care of the others." He nodded once at her before speeding away. a gust of wind and yellow lightning trailed behind him. at the same time, Ralph returned to the dorms as quickly as he could. Not actually knowing his way around, it took him much longer than he wished it would take. In his haste, he dropped the disguise. He turned to the women's dorms and knocked on Izzy's door.

Blitzkrieg had been faster. Ralph would later learn Izzy had accepted the offer to work for Blitzkrieg and the New Reichsmen, sort of like an internship. It required her to pack her bags and leave for Star City immediately. Ralph missed her by only seconds.

From that moment on, he spent all his free time worrying about her and about his own safety. He was well aware what the New Reich was capable of, but since joining the Academy he had thought himself safe. He wasn't too sure about that anymore. Luckily, nobody suspected he knew about the conversation Dr. Snow and Blitzkrieg had held. He was just a recruit who worried about his best friend. He did receive a letter every two days – it was the only way the interns were allowed to communicate with the outside world – but he could never contact her or send a letter back.

Two weeks into her internship, she stopped sending letters. Four days later, the national TV channel broke the news.

 _"Izzy Bowin, a meta trainee of the Central City Academy and newly appointed intern for the New Reichsmen, has been found. Passers-by saw her body floating in the river. The police have closed off the crime scene. The investigation has just opened, but as of this moment, all evidence points to the rebels as potential murderers. Neither the New Reichsmen nor the Academy_ are _available for comments. If you saw anything—"_

Ralph could not look away from the TV as rage and fury took him over – all of it pure anger aimed at the New Reichsmen and everything they stand for. Fortunately, he was alone in his room and no Academy official was nearby. It enabled him to return to a somewhat more reasonable state, but that did not take away the rage. He did not stand a chance if he tried to fight the guards without regards for strategy, and it alerted the New Reich of the revenge he wanted. Until he found a way to get back at the New Reich for taking Izzy away for their personal gain – to make a vengeful New Reichsman out of Ralph – he would lay low.

The next couple of weeks, he went through an admirable transformation. Instead of enthusiastic, he was reserved. He pulled his punches and did not give it all. He grew wiser, in a sense. He figured out that he did not want to be a fighter and had liked his ordinary life. He wanted out, but everyone constantly had their eyes on him because of the sudden shift in behavior. Dr. Snow explained it away as him having a different reaction than the one they had planned, but it didn't take away the capacity of him becoming a fierce warrior for their cause.

As such, Ralph continued to disguise himself as different people to get to the Academy's research labs and offices so he could walk away from the Academy, disguised or not, without anyone noticing. In one of such endeavors, he came across highly confidential documents that only those who possessed the highest clearance level were allowed to read. So, naturally, Ralph read the documents.

They detailed the "discovery of the century", based on a scientific breakthrough. Dr. Martin Stein, assisted by Dr. Caitlin Snow, had studied the body of a Dominator, a member of an alien race that came to Earth and that had been eliminated by the D.E.O. and the New Reichsmen before they became a threat. The duo performed an autopsy on the body and discovered these aliens could take control over another being's mind. The process was chemical, but Dr. Stein was able to create a device that worked similarly, but that used electric impulses to keep the target's mind under control. There were two parts: the emitter and the receiver. The documents talked more about how the technology erased the target's wishes and desires to make them compliant. Ralph stopped there, not wishing to know how exactly it worked. He hurried back to his dorm.

When he crossed the main hall, he paused. The guard at the door was near the end of his shift and was probably tired enough to let Ralph pass. At this hour, all sorts of Academy officials were going home or just arriving. Not saying a word, he transformed into a different person and walked through the main doors.

The Academy life continued as it did before, but without Ralph Dibny. His fellow trainees were confused, the trainers were terrified of the consequences of his disappearance and the officials, such as Dr. Snow, had to report to Overgirl herself and explain why one of their most powerful recruits managed to disappear.

Ralph managed to spend about five days outside of the Academy. Ralph had chosen to wear the face of one of the people in one of Izzy's old magazines, an older man from the United Kingdom. Nobody had seen through his disguise, but he was having trouble living incognito and at the same standard as he did before. He had slept on the streets of Central City for three nights, and then one night in an abandoned run-down ancient house. it was better than living on the street, where Blitzkrieg could find him in an instant. Ralph had seen him run through the streets, looking for the missing meta. "Kidnapped by the rebels," several news outlets said, providing a not-so-helpful picture of him for the viewers.

But Blitzkrieg found him. in the middle of the fifth night, he busted down the door of the old house, startling Ralph awake. He urged his body to transform into the older Englishman, but Blitzkrieg was faster. He dashed across the room and hit Ralph with a blast of lightning. Ralph fell to the ground, screaming as electricity rushed through his body.

He barely had any power left in his body. he tilted his head and Blitzkrieg towered over him, cold eyes glaring down.

"If you're going to disguise yourself," the independent operative said in an indifferent tone, "don't pick a well-known Oxford professor."

The speedster shot lightning at him again. Ralph only vaguely remembered being picked up from the ground before losing consciousness.

* * *

Waking up, Ralph sat with his back against a cold, metallic wall. He was still in intense pain, so much so that he at first had no idea he was sitting upright. His back hurt and he had a massive headache. His muscles throbbed and burned, as well as his right side. Especially the right side – that was what Blitzkrieg aimed for. The dim light above him was too bright and he squinted his eyes on the occasion that he opened them.

His mind drifted away several times, as he let himself rest in this position. After a while, the pain faded and his body became numb and stiff. The light did not hurt anymore and he could actually take notice of his surroundings.

Ralph was pretty certain they had placed him in a prison cell that couldn't have been bigger than his bedroom at the Academy. The walls emitted some sort of purple light, making the place look more ominous than it needed to be. On his left stood a metal bed with mattress against the wall and on his right, instead of iron bars stood a large window with two-inch wide holes systematically punctured in them.

Most peculiar was the man on the other side of the window. He was dressed smartly and immaculate in his three-piece suit, his brown hair combed back. The man watched Ralph with a certain amount of interest as if he were a visitor in a zoo. Though most unsettling were his eyes. Ralph had expected at least a glint of evil in them – the man was probably working for the New Reich – but that couldn't be farther from the truth. His face had a pleasant disposition, and Ralph got the feeling that people liked him instantaneously. Given the situation, Ralph did not dare to trust him or speak up.

"You're strong, Ralph," the man said. "You are powerful. I have never met a meta as versatile as you are. The Reich needs you."

Ralph's eyes widened, his heart sped up. He recognized that voice.

"Blitzkrieg." That couldn't possibly be him! If Ralph ever imagined what Blitzkrieg's face looked like, it wouldn't be that face. The man nodded cautiously.

"True." He used the same neutral tone as before, placing his hands in his pocket. "You didn't have to run. The people at the Academy are there for you. I know the responsibilities of a hero are hard, but the rewards far outweigh the risks."

Blitzkrieg paused and smiled. Ralph found this to very unsettling.

"Do you understand what you're capable of?" the man continued, "You have the potential to be the most powerful man on the planet, behind the Führer and his wife. We will help you reach that potential. Before you know it, you'll be out there, punishing the rebels who killed your friend."

 _Izzy._

"No," Ralph blurted out, his mind foggy for a few moments. He glared at Blitzkrieg. "You killed her," he spat, "not the rebels. You did that."

Blitzkrieg's face hardened. Finally, Ralph saw the eyes of the man that ran around the world ending conflicts in bloody ways. The man on the other side of the glass turned from a normal citizen into a New Reich operative, to be feared and respected, whether he deserved it or not.

"You'll help us," the speedster said. "You will. If you don't wish to help us voluntarily, they will make you cooperate. You can do this the easy way, or the hard way. That's your choice."

Ralph leaned towards Blitzkrieg, the pain in his side resurfacing, not taking his eyes off of the New Reich operative.

"Screw you," Ralph said through gritted teeth.

Blitzkrieg only shrugged. "The hard way, then." The man strode away from the cell, and Ralph breathed out deeply and loudly. They were going to use that device on him, they were going to make him their slave. He had to get out of the cell.

He took a closer look around the room, but he did not find anything that could help him escape. He did not feel like standing up just yet, with his overall numb body and aching side. Yet, he forced himself to his feet. He leaned heavily against the wall, black spots dancing in his vision that he couldn't seem to get rid of for the next minute or so.

The holes in the window caught his eye. About two inches wide, made just a bit wider than that. He glanced around the cell, but he could not see any kind of video surveillance. If there were any guards around, they hadn't shown up yet. For now, he only thought about those holes and how the lack of surveillance had created a perfect opportunity.

A crazy idea popped into his head. He was going to try it. We can never know whether it was the desperate situation or the fog in his mind that made him agree with his own plan.

Ralph took a deep breath and pushed himself away from the wall. He staggered forward until he nearly smashed into the glass panel. He leaned against it, panting and recovering from the sudden outburst of pain throughout his body. He placed his hands on the cold glass and pulled himself up. Releasing one hand, it trembled and shook until he covered one of the holes with it. Without thinking about it too much or even watching, he pushed.

Not a minute later, he had squeezed his hand and wrist through the hole. With more effort, he managed to squeeze his other hand through the same hole. It resulted in a funny sight in which it seemed the glass had caught him by his wrists.

Ralph glanced out of the cell – nobody had witnessed his escape attempt yet and nobody seemed to notice, either. Blitzkrieg wasn't around, because he wasn't in a big rush to go to the closest lab and install the mind control device on Ralph. The belief that Ralph couldn't possibly be crazy enough to try to get out through one of the holes would prove to be a mistake.

Now, the next part of the escape attempt is disturbing. As a result, I will not describe it in full detail. What happens is, Ralph managed to push himself out of the cell through this two- or three-inch hole from the outside. It was a rather painful experience as well. Once he was free, he sank down his knees, panting and giving himself a moment to recover.

This moment did not last long. If he did not move, they would find him and put him back in that cell. He hoisted himself up against the wall and dragged his body through the corridor, ignoring his burning side and stinging back and aching legs. He regularly glanced over his shoulder and placed a hand on his back in the hope that it would soothe the pain (it didn't).

Finally, he reached the end of the long corridor and turned around the corridor. He sat down and closed his eyes, focusing on his appearance. The process went slower than usual, and he did not like that. First the nose transformed, then the eyes. But there was more to an appearance than nose and eyes – ears and face and skin all had to change, too, if he did not want to look like himself. Having a specific person in mind, Ralph hoped that person wasn't going to show up today.

In the distance, footsteps were coming closer. No alarm sounded, but he was certain it would be activated very soon. Ralph breathed more heavily, sweat dripping down his face. He lowered his head and pushed the thought of the guards finding him out of his mind. stress slowed down the process, and that was what he was trying to avoid.

He stood up when he was fully transformed, and at that moment the two guards noticed him. Ralph managed to convince them he had a bad feeling about the meta and believed he would escape. The meta found him, beat him up and left. The two guards were kind enough to drop him off in an empty nurse's office. From there on out, he only needed to exit the building and blend with the locals again.

When Blitzkrieg heard about the situation, he was outraged. He believed Ralph would try to escape one way or another. He also believed Ralph's creativity did not extend as far as trying to get out of the cell through a two-inch hole.

Blitzkrieg would never find Ralph again. He blended in with the masses, wearing all sorts of different faces that weren't his. He would make sure to pick a new face every week or five days, all the while either living on the streets or staying in old houses. Ralph Dibny became a figure of legend, only ever whispered about on the streets and talked about in awe. He was different; he left and just vanished. Disappeared into thin air. That was enough to elevate him to the position of 'legend'.

And such is the legacy of Ralph Dibny.

* * *

This isn't as much a tale of caution as it is a tale of chance. If Ralph hadn't decided to do the things he had done, Earth-X's history would look completely different.

Should Blitzkrieg's plan have worked, I predict a future in which Ralph willingly allied himself with the New Reich. His abilities made it easier for him to infiltrate the resistance and gather some well-needed information. He would, as Blitzkrieg said, be the most powerful person to walk the Earth, behind Oliver and Kara. I am glad this alternate history didn't happen.

Now, I need to give credit where credit is due. As I was writing this and looking for sources, I only had what video footage could give me. I made it no secret I was writing a book about Earth-X's recent history. In my mail, there was a cd with audio of an anonymous androgynous voice detailing Ralph Dibny's exploits, going into his head at times and giving some unnecessary details I left out of this chapter. I have no reason to believe that this isn't Mr. Dibny himself. I would like to take the opportunity to tell you that I do not know where he is currently residing or what face he is wearing.

If I may be so humble as to present my opinion; I hope he will come out of hiding one day. This Earth, in its current state, can use all good people it has to get this broken society back on track. Now, I don't know whether he has any qualifications to lead, but his legend status would allow him to give the people he supports a big boost, which might also give the common folk a reason to get behind this change and to take a step in the right direction.


	5. Bad luck

If I had to summarize Roy Harper's life in only one sentence, I would tell you it's possible to do so in only two: bad luck. no matter what he did or whom he trusted, whether they were on the side of the New Reich or not at all, his decisions were either dictated or largely influenced by bad luck.

Of course, it is not the only factor that defined his life. There was a decent amount of good moments as well, even if it often goes unmentioned or, when mentioned, only appears briefly. At one point in his life, some of the bad managed to seduce him well enough not to see the bad until it was too late to change his mind.

But how does this bad luck play into his day-to-day life?

It started when he was born into a poor family that lived in the Glades, the outskirts of Star City. The family of three lived in a trailer park and Roy barely saw his parents when he was a boy. They were each juggling at least two minimum-wage jobs at any given moments to keep themselves alive.

Despite this, Roy had a good childhood. His father often proclaimed how lucky they were to live in Star City – the New Reichsmen and the Führer were looking out for them, they were doing everything in their power to help the poor and downtrodden. As any child would, Roy agreed with his father. He looked up to all those 'great people', especially the children who studied at the Academy – how he wished he could study there! – and their parents. Roy never liked it when the kids in his trailer park disrespected those people specifically, but he still managed to befriend a nice girl and a friendly boy, Sin, and Mark, who truly believed the New Reich was evil, and Mark was more vocal about it than Sin. The trio kept each other company during the day, as none of them attended school.

Roy was twelve when the New Reichmen purged the city. This was an event that occurred every decade or so. It was a simple idea: one big city-wipe swipe during which all kinds of rebels and non-believers were arrested or, if they resisted, killed. For the second time in his life – he was too young to remember the first – the soldiers came marching in their trailer park wearing terrifying masks. They left Roy and Sin alone, but they did attempt to forcibly remove Mark and his family from the park. Mark ran, and the soldiers opened fire. The screams of Mark and his family forever haunted those who heard them, especially the children – his friends – that bore witness to this cruel display of authority.

Since then, Roy's view of the Reich had drastically changed. He no longer believed the New Reichsmen were true heroes. He no longer wanted to be taught with the children of the highly influential Star City elite. The Reich was only ever good at creating monsters that killed innocents just because they ran. Those who associated with the New Reich were worthy of death.

This vengeful idea brought him upon the path he walked as an adult, and Mark's death was the bad luck in his life that shaped the way he saw the world. His father would often lament his son had changed for the worst, but Roy would disagree. His mother would silently encourage him to follow his heart – turns out she wasn't as pro-Reich as she appeared to be. Roy asked her for money to buy a proper weapon, march straight into Star City and murder the elite.

His mother was, unlike others, more than happy to provide him with a weapon and promised she'd bring one with her the next time she went to the city for supplies. The twelve-year-old had counted on a knife, dagger, mace, or anything similar. However, when she returned, he received a second-hand bow and a quiver with ten arrows.

There must have been a couple of reasons. Firstly, there was the financial aspect. The family was still poor and saw an opportunity. Children in the city, knowing that the Queens are learning how to use a bow and arrow, have taken up archery as a pastime. Some children had grown out of this, or simply did not want to do archery anymore, so there was a market out there selling second-hand good-as-new bows and arrows. It was the cheapest quality weapon they could afford.

Secondly, before his mother bought the weapon, she argued with her husband Roy needed to learn how to defend himself when he wandered away from the trailer park. He agreed, on the condition that it was a weapon Roy needed to know well before he could do substantial damage. Bow and arrow need a lot of practice before someone can use them perfectly.

Thirdly, it would teach Roy patience and keep him safe for a couple more years. Roy wasn't a very patient child, and his parents predicted it would take him a lot of time, preferably years, to master the ability to shoot an arrow. By that time, his parents hoped he had calmed down and would no longer want to kill the people in charge.

But little Roy Harper was just as impatient as he was stubborn. Every time he would fire an arrow on his makeshift archery range, he repeated the same mantra, either in his mind or out loud. My sources did not want or could not disclose what the exact mantra was. Roy never let himself forget why he was doing what he was doing. Every time he practiced, Sin was there, providing cynical commentary and the occasional sarcastic "you can do it".

Six years later, Roy had become a self-taught archer. While he had trained to get this far, he also had become known as someone who liked to start fights. He figured none of his targets were going to stand still and wait for him to aim and fire. As he became more proficient in archery, he also became a better street fighter, even winning some fights. By the time he was eighteen, nobody in his neighborhood dared to even look at him and as he passed, whispers followed. The only person who wasn't intimidated by how quickly Roy Harper had changed, was Sin.

Still, Roy believed he needed practice on live targets. He thought it best to just take down every criminal in his neighborhood. That idea backfired – everyone in the trailer park knew him already, so when he showed up, he only needed to tell them to stop it, or else. They were never more compliant. What he thought was going to take months only took one week. People nowadays still whisper on the streets: be careful, don't do anything that will draw Roy Harper's attention. He never stopped to think he was actually enforcing the New Reich's laws in this way. He didn't have a problem with the laws, anyway, but with the people who enforced and created them.

To get some practice, he moved out of the neighborhood and into a new one. each time, he tried to eradicate crime in that neighborhood. Each time, he also killed or at least seriously maimed the New Reich soldiers when they passed him on the street. There never was a short supply of soldiers, because when one pair was killed, a fresh new one was sent to investigate. Roy surprisingly managed to keep the soldier killing to a minimum as he slowly but steadily made his way to the center of Star City.

His parents had been right – learning archery had taught him patience, so much so he wasn't in a rush to kill the Star City elite anymore. He saved enough money to buy a crossbow, which he often used while he was just out on the streets as Roy and not as the vigilante with the short bow. He became a wanted person by the police forces. He broke off all contact with Sin and his family and started a new life in the suburban neighborhoods of Star City, each day inching closer to his goal of killing the Star City elite.

* * *

During a fateful night in Star City, he passed the city's casino on the main street wearing his disguise: a dark cloak, capable of hiding his crossbow. He briefly glanced inside but did not pay particular attention to the rich woman exiting the building without her three black suits, who remained inside. Not one second later, she yelled out a loud 'hey!'. Next thing he knew, a man wearing a mask ran past him, an expensive looking purse in his hands.

Roy reacted immediately. He lifted his crossbow, pushed the cloak aside and let the arrow fly. It lodged itself in the robber's thigh. The robber yelped and screamed and fell to the ground. Roy strolled over to him, snatched the purse from his hands and returned it to the lady.

This lady was peculiar. She stood tall and proud. The way she stood there and watched him like a vulture made it clear she was not used to being disobeyed and most likely always got her way, and may never have been robbed before. Upon seeing her, Roy knew he did not want to cross her and found himself to be afraid of her. He made sure not to look at her face when he handed her the purse.

"I could've handled it," she said in a way that sounded borderline patronizing. He nodded.

"Of course," he said, "but I was faster this time." He finally lifted his head and as soon as he saw her face, he froze. She glared at him and he stared. I can only assume he was overtaken by her beauty, as later behavior shows he does believe she is beautiful. There lay a curious smile on her face, and Roy could not help but grin sheepishly.

"I didn't catch your name," she said.

"Roy," he responded after a few seconds of silence. he would have easily given his last name to her, too, but he came to his senses and did not say anything. It may be the one good idea he had at that time.

"Roy." She tested the name. "Would you like to join me?"

The poor man, unfortunately, did not stand a chance against her charm. He agreed, stepped in the back of her limousine and they left for her apartment.

We have no records about what happened in the limousine, but I have tried to create a semi-reliable reconstruction. The lady gave the address to the driver, and then Roy realized he had been talking to Thea Merlyn-Queen and not some random elite woman. He was wise enough not to attack her immediately. Thea exposed him as the red archer, giving the argument of the cloak and crossbow. She allowed him to explain his actions and he bluffed, saying all the men he killed had something against the Reich. She offered him the job of 'companion' – her brother, Oliver, wants her to have a bodyguard that always stays close, and she disagrees. Calling the bodyguard a companion sounded better. Roy probably impulsively took the job. I think he may have believed staying closer to her may increase either his chance to kill her or to have her. either way, he had made his decision and sided, albeit temporarily, with miss Thea Merlyn-Queen.

After a fifteen-minute drive, they arrived at the Merlyn tower. Malcolm Merlyn lived on the top floor, his son and daughter living only one floor below him. Roy and Thea took the elevator to the 54th floor. During this elevator ride, Roy seemed to have trouble with the confined space. The elevator was rather small – counting him and Thea, there was only enough space for two more people. This claustrophobia probably came up by realizing the weight of his mistake or because he figured there was always going to be a camera pointed at him.

The moment Roy laid eyes on the apartment, he did not show any signs of nervousness. The elevator opened its doors in the living room, and Roy looked around like an excited child on Christmas morning. He walked to the large window that covered the entire wall and looked outside, watching the city he had vowed to save from above.

"Never been this high?" she asked him. He turned to her.

"Never seen this big." The living room alone was bigger than the size of his latest apartment. He had never lived in a big place, and the amount of space he saw disturbed him. So many had to live packed together, while Thea and her half-brother shared so much space.

The door in the far back, leading to another part of the apartment, opened and out walked Thea's older brother, Tommy Merlyn. He was called in to deal with some rebels. As a New Reichsman one of Oliver's closest confidants, he was more than happy to answer the call. However, he was not happy to see a fresh face in his apartment, and especially not one that stared at his half-sister.

He stayed for a moment, glancing at Thea and Roy, who had turned their heads towards him. not a second later, he sighed and let his shoulders hang. His focus shifted to Thea.

"What did I tell you about picking up strays?" There was an annoyed and threatening undertone in his voice.

"It's all right, Tommy," Thea said in an equally irritated tone. "He—"

"Who is he?" He demanded. He came closer and towered over her, but she wasn't easily intimidated. This happened often, especially when Thea brought someone into the house she wasn't supposed to bring.

"Roy," the red archer responded, consciously not mentioning his last name, possibly hoping to keep his alter-ego a secret. Tommy nodded, a look of disdain in his eyes when he glanced at the newcomer.

"The red archer." Roy really didn't put enough effort in keeping that identity a secret. He should have paid more attention to that aspect of vigilante life. Tommy looked at Thea again. "This is not a good idea."

"I disagree," Thea said, taking a step to the right. Whether she did it consciously or not, there is no telling. What we can see, is that she stepped in between her brother and her new companion. Maybe she's gained the reflex after Tommy put either fear or a sword in every companion candidate he's ever met, or maybe she just wanted to look at him more directly.

"How about everyone he's killed?" Tommy glared daggers at Roy, who started to feel nervous, his eyes on the sword in Tommy's hands. "Our soldiers, our officers." Somehow, Roy did find the power to speak up regardless of what was going to happen to him if he did.

"They were all against the Reich," he said. The Merlyns turned their heads at the same time, one with a more murderous gaze than the other. He gulped and continued: "I don't harm or kill unless there is no other way."

"There never seems to be another way," Tommy retorted. I must admit that Mr. Merlyn is correct - when Roy had chosen to engage specific Reich officers, he never left them without at least two major physical injuries. He never seemed to spare a life or decided to show mercy.

"Because all of them had made plans to take down the Reich. And if they hadn't, they did display a certain animosity towards the Reich," he said, looking Tommy in the eye. This was an easy bluff. When talking to some Reich officers, he noticed one of them had a particular skeptical view of the world they lived in. Roy had met him several times later, too, and during their conversations, he learned that - to a certain degree - every officer and soldier did have something against the Reich. Whether it was a specific law, the way people were punished or the ongoing segregation, everyone always had an opinion that clashed with the views of the New Reich.

"For your sake, you better not be lying to me." Just like that, the animosity Tommy had previously shown disappeared, and his tone was a bit more neutral. I still have no idea why he changed so suddenly, but I do believe he may not have wanted to waste his energy on Roy. He turned his head to Thea again. "Does Oliver know?"

Thea shook her head. "No."

"I'm still going to have to tell him. He's not going to like it."

She had folded her arms and looked at Tommy. "Does it look like I care?"

Tommy sighed again and stepped into the elevator. When the doors closed, the tension that was present in the room lifted.

"Strained relationship?" Thea shrugged and answered, but she did not look at him.

"It's not perfect, but they're family. Even though they can be idiots sometimes."

* * *

Fate would have it that Roy and Thea caught on like a house on fire. He was a good companion, even if Oliver objected to it. They went everywhere together. He got to meet all the people that mean something in this world, except maybe the Führer. In other words, he knew who precisely to target in a well-planned attack, except for the big man at the top.

As they went on missions together, their companionship grew into something more. Roy moved in - the perks of a companion - and more often than not had shared the bed with his employer. The more time he spent with her, the more reluctance he showed towards killing her, having no trouble thinking of killing everyone she cares about. It was no secret he was infatuated with her and that she intrigued him, and his biggest mistake was taking that offer she once made him.

Three weeks into the job, Malcolm Merlyn and the Führer were killed within the same 48 hours. Malcolm was the first deceased, the Führer the second. They found two red arrows - the ones Roy would use - in each torso and the media pointed towards him when they speculated about the killer.

But it wasn't him. Roy spent all that time with Thea. This is the only case where his infatuation with Thea had a positive effect. Oliver came to collect the criminal, but he and Thea fell out hard. Oliver left empty-handed and had to be content with just being the new Führer, while Thea legally changed her name and from that day forth, she was known as Thea Merlyn. The news quietly and gradually stopped reporting the Fürher's death, and Roy was no longer targeted.

If I brush over this now, it is because this is Roy's chapter. I will go into more details of this event further in this book.

Roy spent several months being happy with what he was doing. The Red Archer, the name he used on missions, would only show up when Arsenal (Thea) was called in the field by the New Reichsmen. However, about a month after Malcolm's death, she decided she no longer wanted to support her maternal half-brother's cause and quit the New Reichsmen.

Roy started to get his plan back on track when he learned that his neighborhood, the trailer park where he'd grown up, had been decimated. In his absence, the place did not descend into chaos, but those he inspired to do good had risen up against the New Reich with nothing more than old baseball bats and some rocks they found on the ground. The troublemakers have been publicly executed as rebels, and some random women paid an entirely different and terrible price. One of these women was Sin.

I can imagine these images reminded him of what happened when he was twelve years old. The furious outburst caught on tape - his room had a camera watching his every move - was the only time I truly saw him at his worst; raw emotion poured into every action as he smashed some equipment to pieces, possibly wishing he had been there to prevent the situation from escalating. But he couldn't have. He was on high surveillance and never out of sight for too long. They would not have let him help.

Unfortunately, Thea had decided to look at the security tapes of his room that evening and she witnessed his outburst. That was the most amount of bad luck Roy has had in his life, and this was the one action that cost him his life as he knew it.

The next day, Thea and Roy traveled to Central City to visit Mercury Labs, the workplace of Dr. Snow and Dr. Stein, where they were offered a peculiar device. Roy was told it would enhance his mental capacities, and that when Thea wore an identical copy, they would be able to talk to each other telepathically – extremely valuable for missions. Roy could already put his on while the assistant fetched Thea's device.

Roy knew something was up, especially because they did not go on missions anymore. He only fully came to his senses when the device was attached to his head and Thea held the remote in her hand. Thea pressed the button before Roy could remove the device. She liked her companions to be obedient as well as emotionless towards the news. Luckily, she had grown fond of him and did not want to kill him for displaying such anguish after the deaths of those who, in her eyes, deserved it.

Roy would spend the rest of his life a slave in everything but name to Thea Merlyn. He and his master stayed on Earth-X when they were asked to participate in the invasion of Earth-1. Roy would only witness the beginning of the Fall of the New Reich, and many speculate that his untimely death in an otherwise unrelated murder has started the decline of the then current institution of power.

* * *

I may not have always agreed with his choices, especially those that involved miss Merlyn. Yet, I cannot deny that he acted rather bravely at times, even when that bravery bordered recklessness and stupidity, such as going about with a crossbow. Through his actions, he was a thorn in the side for the Reich and, albeit briefly, he was a vigilante. I had to include him in this part of the book.

Still, Roy Harper is one of those people who will never be mentioned in the history books. If this trend continues, he will always be known as the henchman of, instead of his own person. On the other hand, the Red Archer who wanted to save his neighborhood from the Reich's injustice will enter recent memory as a myth and a true hero of the slums of Star City.


	6. Death and Rebirth

The next characters are caught in a constant cycle of death and rebirth, never to be broken, never to be with anyone other than their soulmate, never to live a full life. Their lives are littered with death by Vandal Savage, and their many lives are lost to history whilst their eternal murderer walks around an immortal man.

My deepest gratitude goes out to Dr. Aldous Boardman, whose research on these extraordinary people has been invaluable for this short chapter. Without his incredibly detailed insights into their many lives – especially their first lives – I would not have been able to present this chapter to you.

This will not have the conventional set-up you have gotten accustomed to. Instead of talking about their lives as vigilantes, I will primarily paint an image of who they were before they decided to pick up the weapons. I do admit that this was a late addition to the manuscript. What intrigued me is not what they did per se, but what they were supposed to do. As I researched part three of these Tales, I stumbled upon video footage of a time traveler having a conversation with the late Dr. David Palmer in 1965. He came to warn the doctor of the future and told him of notable threats who were crucial to an early fall of the New Reich. These two people were on the list, and the time traveler mentioned they were responsible for over 500 casualties among New Reich officers and soldiers. I cannot tell how big their threat was, or how their existence as threats would have influenced and shaped this world, but they were considered important and dangerous, and as such I will treat their story with respect.

My apologies for the brevity of the chapter. Still, I do believe it worthwhile to include this tale, though it may not be as insightful to the workings of this world as the other stories.

* * *

Once upon a time, during the time of the Egyptians, the pharaoh had a young and attractive son named Khufu. During his prime years, the pharaoh had a worthy advisor, the High Priest Hath-Set, who later chose the name Vandal Savage for himself. I am still wondering if he is aware of the incriminating nature of his name and whether this was deliberate or an accident he stuck with. This man was of the ripe old age of fifty, and he felt a strong love for the court's High Priestess, Chay-Ara. She was beautiful and about prince Khufu's age. More often than not, he pursued and courted her, but she always rejected his advances. One day, Vandal learned that Chay-Ara and Khufu were in a relationship.

He was furious and mad and especially jealous. If he couldn't have her, nobody could. It just so happened that when he went in to take her life, Khufu was present as well. The men fought, but Khufu did not want to hurt the High Priest. He was killed, and a sobbing Chay-Ara died not much later.

They did not know of the meteor shower that night. If they saw the lights, they would assume it was a sign from the gods. Still, this meteor shower wasn't made up of normal meteors. There are only literary references to this event, as none of the hit the Earth. We know nothing of its material properties, but it did have a profound – and possibly magical – effect on the trio. Vandal stole their life forces for himself, extending his life. Chay-Ara and Khufu remained dead, but somewhere else, at the exact moment of their murders, two babies were born. A boy and a girl, who were the prince and High Priestess reborn.

Ten years after the crime, Vandal had fled the city and ended up in a village bordering modern Palestina. There, he encountered a boy who looked like a young Khufu. His "girlfriend" at the time resembled Chay-Ara so much, even in her young age, that she could have been her twin sister. 'Khufu' remembered him – he knew Vandal's name – as an evil person, but they did not know where they would know this from. Trying to protect his identity, he killed the children and moved beyond the borders.

Over the years, Vandal Savage encountered many more doubles of his beloved and her lover. Each time, he would kill them. By then, he had figured out what had happened and that killing them would grant him more years to live. Hunting them down to kill them had become more a sport than a way to survive. He often could not find them as children, but once they reached adulthood and had found one another, it was easy to find them, though it was no prerequisite.

The world around him changed drastically during his 4,000-year life. The only reoccurring event was the Hawks emerging time and time again, and he liked that nobody but him noticed. By the time he enters Central City, he has killed the couple over 200 times, and only 50 or so times did they fight back.

But I digress. The most recent reincarnations of Chay-ara and Khufu are Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall, living in Central City under the regime of the New Reich.

* * *

As children, they lived agonizingly close to one another, but somehow never met until they were twenty-one years old. She worked as a nurse in the nearby hospital and he was to be treated there; he had received injuries during his job as a New Reich soldier. They instantly fell in love, but neither seemed to remember their previous lives. If they did remember, they spared each other by never mentioning it.  
Three months later, around the time that Oliver Queen was crowned Führer, they were married and Kendra Saunders became Kendra Hall. They moved into his apartment and lived happily, and blissfully unaware of the danger they were in.

Vandal Savage was so certain that Chay-Ara and Khufu reincarnated on the European continent, he spent years searching for them in Germany's Reich. Dr. David Palmer had him come over from Germany as an advisor to his company, to his son – who had only recently stepped in to be the CEO – and, if he was good enough, to the Führer himself. He started working as soon as he set foot on American soil.  
He met Kendra coincidentally. Vandal walked through the streets of the city when her face caught his eyes. He stopped on the sidewalk and watched discretely as she passed him. He stared at her over his shoulder until she was out of sight. She turned her head to him once, and I suspect she could feel his gaze burning into her back.

Not a week later, he found their address. He broke into their house and, mirroring what happened during their first life, he killed Carter in front of Kendra before murdering her. the news blamed it on a randomly armed robber, and Vandal Savage's name was not to be mentioned anywhere in the reports. Killing a New Reich soldier was a serious offense, and Vandal Savage was banned. Should he decide to return, Carter's colleagues were allowed to kill him on sight. Vandal boarded a plane under supervision and smiled the entire flight.

* * *

I wish I could have told you about their exploits as heroes and what prompted them to do the right things, but I am not a time traveler nor can I look into different timelines. however, I can tell you that somewhere in the world, at the moment I am writing this, there are two four-year-olds out there, a boy and a girl, who look very similar to the prince and the high priestess, and who are the latest reincarnations of Khufu and Chay-Ara, trapped in an eternal cycle of death and rebirth and no chance of escaping their fates


	7. Young love

The following story had to be almost fully reconstructed. My main source of information specifically asked me to cite him as an anonymous source. The societal values and norms ingrained into his mind had reluctantly brought him to me and he wished to share this story, but he did not want to be known publicly out of fear of retribution. Even after convincing him this book was in the first place for people of other Earths, and only in the second place for Earth-X citizens, he still did not give me permission to reveal any information regarding this person.

My source knew the following two well enough to capably tell me and capably reconstruct this story, as well as give me more information on what happened when the tapes stop filming, or when there is no recording or video footage. He is extremely valuable as a source, and my primary source for this chapter, since recordings of these events are few and scarce. So, my deepest gratitude goes out to him.

The following tale does not detail a physical fight, but a mental fight. This is the story of two very brave young men, namely Curtis and Paul.

* * *

Curtis was extremely excited when he finally got a job at Mercury Labs. Of course, he was just the janitor, but hey, it was better than no job at all. It was a shame such a brilliant mind would ever go to waste.

Still, he was one of the first black people to be employed at this world-renowned company, and at the time, Curtis did not even care he was hired in a job that offered him no chance to grow or to further develop his skills. Honestly, he was just excited to walk through the aisles of the company's building, especially after being rejected by Palmer tech, over in Star City.

During the first month, he got used to the rhythms of the company. His "mentor" taught him when he should be cleaning which part of the building, and that if the office workers' desks needed cleaning, he would have to work after-hours - though they don't trust a black man to be wandering inside the building at night, he did get one hour after office hours. He learned to never look anyone with a higher position than him in the eyes, and if the CEO was on the same floor, it was probably best to stay out of sight altogether. His company may have hired him, but if the CEO ever laid eyes on this young man, he wouldn't hesitate to fire Curtis on the spot. Despite the shitty treatment everyone was giving him, he still enjoyed working for the company and marveled at all the equipment the scientists could use. Seeing all the advanced technology was tantalizing and satisfying at the same time, and he left for home with a smile on his face every time, despite feeling exhausted at the end of each day, knowing how lucky he was to have this job. He never complained and was satisfied with the little money he earned.

Within that month, Curtis found his place inside the company and never strayed from the path he was dictated to walk on. After a couple of months, he never had to look where he was going anymore and he was convinced he would be able to do his rounds blindly – that was how familiar he had become with the building's layout. But one day, he stumbled upon an anomaly – the company's mail distributor. Despite the technological advancements, there were some things that were still communicated through letters. Only by pure coincidence did the mail distributor's path cross with the janitor's.

This mail distributor was called Paul. He came around the corner, but Curtis didn't see him and he almost ran into Paul's cart. They had a short conversation – the cameras only picked up on the visuals, but they did not record any sound. Either way, the conversation lasted two minutes, maybe three minutes, and the entire time both men awkwardly stared at each other, apologizing and making it even more awkward for each other. They continued on their ways and at separate times, glanced over their shoulders to catch one last glimpse of their new acquaintance.

There may be one characteristic both men possess that you may have already guessed: they're gay. In a regime like the New Reich, this is a serious problem, especially since one of them is also a black man.

Society taught them to hide their ungodly and unnatural impulses or suffer the consequences of not complying. Even the little things such as holding hands or staring at each other for too long can get you sent to a concentration camp. Being gay is also widely regarded as a choice that people keep making despite its illegal status. So, you can imagine the excruciating pain in their hearts and fear when they finally realized they truly liked each other.

However, they did make an effort to see each other once a week, in the break room. They talked for a minute or five – without being awkward about it – and then continued to do their work. Their faces always lit up when they saw one another and they became excited, possibly even overjoyed, when their paths irregularly crossed in the hallways. When they spoke, they smiled, and each encounter ended with a hearty goodbye and see you next time.

Curtis might have been the first one to realize it. Two months after their initial meeting, his gaze lingered for a little too long as Paul pushed his cart towards the elevator. A content smile faded into a look of realization and understanding. He quickly continued work as if nothing had happened, but the cameras had caught this moment. nothing was done about it, though, since they were clearly good friends. And he's black – maybe he was just glad to have someone to talk to who did not use that condescending tone in his voice. They let them be – happy employees were key to make a better company, even if those employees were just the mailman and the janitor.

One day, Curtis received a phone call from Paul. He had problems with his car, and paying a mechanic would definitely make him broke, so maybe Curtis could help. Curtis, though he was no mechanic, agreed to come over and take a look at it. Not even thirty minutes later, Curtis had arrived at Paul's. Paul led him to the garage and Curtis examined the car. Paul kept him company throughout the process and made him coffee. It took him a while to figure out what the problem was and, in the end, it took the two of them to fix the car and make it start again.

Paul was in a tight spot financially, and he could not afford to give Curtis a monetary compensation for his time and help. As such, Curtis' payment was a good meal. They ate in silence and did not speak. while they were doing the dishes – Curtis insisted on helping out – Paul brought up discrimination against minorities in their conversation and slowly confessed that he was gay, and had possibly caught feelings for him. If anyone was going to understand his feelings and not discriminate or call the cops on him, it would be Curtis. After Paul was finished talking and was glad that he cleared that up, Curtis then confessed his love for the young man he just helped out. That night, they shared their first kiss.

* * *

After that encounter, they acted considerably more amicable towards each other at work. Sure, they knew better than to display their love for one another in a public space, but their talks were not as hidden as they used to be. They had chosen to portray themselves as best friends on Mercury Labs' premises so that people might not be surprised when they learned the two often visited each other, or when they seemed so happy to see one another when they crossed each other's paths. It was only a plan in the making, but if it worked, they were going to continue doing this.

Paul and Curtis continued visiting each other after hours. Usually, to provide an alibi, one would call the other to ask for help with something that they couldn't possibly do on their own; or, in Paul's case, he'd ask Curtis for help. These dinners were usually hosted at Paul's, because the way he lived in poverty with quite shitty equipment was the perfect cover for Curtis to come over and have their romantic evenings.

On top of that, Curtis loved helping out his beloved and make his home less shitty. Curtis didn't live in the best circumstances either, but Paul had it considerably worse in terms of housing. Paul blamed poor life choices for this fate, but Curtis did not care about this.

They kept up the charade for four months. Still, one of them slipped up after these months of secrecy. It might have been an offhanded comment, a not-so-well-thought-out response to a stupid everyday question, just a little something that briefly came up in conversation. Whatever it was, the other employee reported that the janitor and mailman were up to something.

HR management took it upon themselves to investigate the situation. Their idea of 'investigation', however, was watching the security tapes and expecting something incriminating to immediately pop up. But it didn't, because these lovers were not idiots and concealed their love well.

This unnamed frustrated employee was not happy when the report was finished and when HR declared the mailman and janitor innocent. Paul and Curtis, who were worried about this investigation, were overjoyed. This employee, however, was convinced that these two low-level blue-collar workers were up to something seriously illegal. If the company wasn't listening to his complaints, then maybe the New Reich would.

As per the norm, the New Reich listened and took immediate action. When Paul and Curtis were at work, the New Reich sent their secret services to plant tiny cameras and microphones in their homes. The secret services also tapped their phones, just in case. Neither Curtis nor Paul noticed their homes were bugged and continued with life, not knowing the danger hanging over their heads.

The secret services did not need to wait long. Into the fourth day of investigation, Paul rang Curtis. There was something wrong with the TV's wiring, and Curtis quickly accepted the offer to help. He did make the mistake of asking what they would have for dinner, but this was not incriminating enough to arrest them yet.

Curtis arrived at Paul's and went straight for the TV. Paul had wanted to help out, as he so often did, but Curtis shook his head. "This could be dangerous," he said, sounding genuinely worried. "It could electrocute you."

"It could do that to you, too," Paul shot back. Curtis briefly turned his eyes away from the TV's wiring to look at his boyfriend in all but name.

"I know what I'm doing," Curtis said. "Besides, I wouldn't know what to do without you." That was the argument that eventually persuaded Paul to start cooking dinner. An hour or so later, dinner was ready and Curtis had repaired the TV.

"Look delicious!" Curtis said, sitting down at the dinner table and looking at the plate in front of him. Paul looked away from the spaghetti and stared lovingly at Curtis.

"So do you," he said. he might have been quite impatient for some personal time with his boyfriend. This phrase, however cheesy it sounded, prompted them to take the intimacy they wanted and which they only every so often got. They leaned in for a kiss and the next moment, they are smooching.

That was enough evidence for the special forces that had set up camp outside. They burst into the house when the camera picked up on this intimacy and startled the lovers. They overpowered them five to one and roughly pulled the lovers apart. On top of that, being those 'disgusting creatures' for loving someone of the same sex, they received a spontaneous beating, neither one being able to help the other, however much they wanted it.

"You are hereby arrested for taking part in illegal activities," the leader of the group said. the victims of police brutality barely heard it – they were too busy trying to protect themselves from the incoming blows. They were detained and taken away in separate vans, going to different concentration camps and not receiving any medical treatment for their wounds.

After the fall of the New Reich, Paul was once again a free man and walked away from the concentration camp mostly unscathed, but traumatized by the events. He traveled back to Central City almost immediately after his liberation in search for Curtis. Paul never found him; Curtis was killed as a part of his punishment – black _and_ gay? Unthinkable! – a year prior to the fall.

* * *

This tale is obviously different from the other ones in this book. These young men were no rebels, and they most certainly weren't vigilantes. Then you may be wondering, why include this tale in this part of the story?

Because they were different. They were not violent. True, they may not have been particularly happy with the way their government discriminated against gay love, but they were good citizens of the Reich nonetheless and they would never take the law into their own hands to fix certain injustices. I would argue these two, other than being dissatisfied with that one point of contempt, were actually happy with the lives they were living before they were shipped off to the concentration camps. Both of them could have been off so much worse before they met.

Still, despite their views and their non-violent natures, it is important not to think less of this tale because of its lack of violence or vigilantism. These men went against their irrational government, completely unknowingly opposing it, just by loving each other and by not giving in to the civic duty to report each other. There are rumors that, even while they were separated and tortured in the concentration camps for months on end, they still refused to betray each other in exchange for freedom, as so many others before them had caved in.

They may not come to mind when you hear the word 'hero', but they have every right to be remembered, such as other brave couples outing themselves when the political climate had gotten better. Their love was stronger than the societal norms and values and fear of punishment ingrained in their subconscious minds. They may not have set a precedent, but representation matters. Their story, as well as those of other suffering minorities, needs to be told.


	8. On air

For as long as she could remember, Leslie Willis always wanted to be a journalist. When other children of her age mentioned prominent members of the New Reich as their heroes, Leslie never even considered those to have an influence on her life. No, she looked up to reporters and followed many stories of specific journalists and, though there wasn't much diversity in the media landscape, she loved the written media. She particularly looked up to this one reporter, who specialized in criminal activities. That bank robber was found and brought to justice, this rebel base in the middle of the city was blown up to stop them. some news items were more click bait than anything else – top ten hiding places for a rebel, five signs your neighbor may be a rebel, and so on. Leslie loved it nonetheless. This reporter was the reason she wanted to become a journalist.

Not surprisingly, Leslie Willis worked hard to achieve this one lifelong dream. Be a journalist, go to the line of fire, report directly and immediately, while the action was still unfolding. In college, she did focus more on written media, especially the written electronic media. There was this thrill about getting the latest news as quickly to the people as she possibly could. Newspapers were usually a day old, and everyone could theoretically already know what happened before buying a copy. The internet was more direct, and people received the latest news only minutes after it happened. During this course, part of her grade depended on a blog she had to set up and the way she reported some news independently. She played it safe in choosing the topics and using a speech-to-text program to speed up the process. She graduated with flying colors and was offered a job at the official news outlet of the New Reich in National City.

It was the perfect job: writer for an online newspaper. They apparently hired writers specifically for those internet articles. She would have to start at the bottom, but that was no big deal – everyone has to start somewhere. The senior writers often left the office building in pursuit of a story, but during her first months, Leslie was only allowed to write the material assigned by her mentor, after he'd gathered the information. It must have been a test on their side, she told herself, to see how well she could write. She retained her trusted method, namely speech-to-text, and soon her supervisors believed she was good enough to be sent out in the field and take interviews herself – under supervision, of course.

That was when she was confronted with the hard and sad truth.

It was a simple story, and it was not too dramatic or sensational. There weren't even any rebels involved. Leslie went out and interviewed the poor woman whose husband attempted to kill her, but whom she killed instead by accident. She said he'd always been rather violent and that he believed this behavior was justified. The violence only escalated the past few months. He'd started drinking and thought his wife was cheating on him – she wasn't – which ended in a murder attempt. One painful detail; her late husband was the New Reich leader of the Logistics department in National City. Work pressure was doubled and stress weighed down on him, but he apparently had been a model employee.

After Leslie wrote her article, her mentor changed it so it would be 'appropriate' for their audience. This minor change was the omission of the husband's profession. This minor change was the first indication that the news she was supposed to present to the people was not entirely objective, as it should be, but highly manipulated.

Leslie dived into the archives and came to the not-so-shocking conclusion that the media was incredibly partisan and catered to the views of their government. Whenever the New Reich was mentioned, it was never painted in a negative light. They always used to superlatives to describe its impeccable state, the generous leader and the wonderful people. In sharp contrast, the rebels never did anything good – and if they did, they never were called rebels. Still, even if one of a large group was confirmed to be a rebel, everyone in their presence had to be a rebel as well, according to the media. If a New Reich official stepped out of line, he was only ever 'a good citizen' – and if even if there was no way to separate the criminal from the prestigious job, the media always found a way to pin the crime on someone else to keep their government's reputation spotless.

This was a problem Leslie saw within all types of media she consumed – there was not one exception. She recognized she had been spoon-fed these lies since birth, and that what she saw or read wasn't always the full truth. In fact, to wake up more Reichspeople, she was going to become an independent reporter with a vlog. The odds were stacked against her – the last person who tried to be an honest reporter ended up dying by Blitzkrieg's hands.

She would not write articles this time. No, she turned to another strong medium: radio and podcasts. Once on the internet, always on the internet – it can never truly be deleted and though the New Reich may try to hide it, people could still stumble on it unintentionally and, if they were curious enough, they would listen. She posted them directly, never from the same electronic device, and always leaving the computer or phone behind as soon as she'd uploaded her latest episode. The New Reich had a tendency to show up almost immediately after she posted something new – she wasn't just committing crimes, but she also was a serious threat to their nearly infallible propaganda machine, and Führer forbid she went against it.

* * *

One day, Leslie was running for her life from the New Reich soldiers as they were catching up to her. She had no idea where to run to since she had moved to a part of town she was unfamiliar with. Carrying only her phone, she fled and ran into a hallway with a dead end, and the soldiers trapped her. Still, Leslie refused to give up without a fight.

Then, the particle accelerator exploded. It had no life-altering effects on the soldiers, were just thrown into the wall by the shockwave. However, it did affect Leslie, who braved the shockwave, also expecting to be thrown into the wall. everything went dark and when the soldiers came to, their suspect was long gone and her phone, now with a cracked screen, was left behind.

Little did they know, Leslie had been transformed into a feared meta-human. She ditched her name and chose the moniker Livewire for herself. Quite fitting, considering the dark matter released by the particle accelerator explosion gave her electrokinesis – in other words, she could control and become electricity. On top of that, like electricity, she could also "jump" into TVs and phones and place her image on each screen, able to communicate with anyone watching it.

This was an incredible experience since it allowed her to literally stay out of her enemies' hands by staying on the wires. The New Reich could impossibly cut off any power lines to counter her – the people they tried to control would be mad. She had become untouchable and unstoppable.

Livewire no longer needed to record radio shows or podcasts. She now appeared on any TV screen in National City and talked to the people, who most of the time pulled out their phones and posted their findings on the internet. More often than not, the people she tried to educate just stared in shock and barely registered what she was saying, then freaked out and called the police forces when they realized she wasn't a recording. Once in a while, someone held a conversation with her, and she would either succeed in opening their eyes or at least plant a seed of doubt in their minds, which could lead to something more.

Once, accidentally, she made contact with a black man going by the name of James Olsen. He saw potential in her, listened and agreed with her points, already having realized this. Then, he did something no-one had done before: he offered her a job. James was part of the resistance and he frequently hung out with the general. Livewire and the general later discussed the conditions of her (non-paid) work with the resistance, and she agreed to the terms. She continued what she was doing already, but if she ever accidentally (or not) stumbled upon information the resistance may need, she would communicate or send it to them.

Still, despite her reputation and her involvement with the resistance, she refused to hide. She was visible for everyone; there wasn't a person in the city that did not know her name; she was untouchable. People either listened to her or alerted the authorities. Either way, the New Reich knew Livewire was active and they were trying to capture her without cutting off the power grid. You could always count on her being someplace with a high density of people, or someplace where you couldn't immediately cut off the power.

Unfortunately for her, she had become a great threat to the New Reich – so much so that they had specific people working on her capture as their job. Along with that, Livewire herself had become arrogant and reckless. Being in a constant state of electricity and not being able to get caught will do that to you.

Harrison Wells was involved. As was the other Wells, the doppelgänger speedster from Earth-1. Their combined minds were enough to set a trap. They lured her away from the comfort of the power grid. They shut off electricity at the abandoned factory, and Wells and the speedster turned on the sprinklers when she tried to attack them. Electricity and water don't go well together. She was arrested and detained. She was tortured for months on end, her captors demanding to know what she knew about the resistance. Livewire was strong and all she ever told them were taunts and vile insults, as well as the promise to never give her what they wanted.

Approximately five months after her capture, she passed away during a torture session. According to various sources, she only lamented the way the media was going to report on her death, such as using terms like 'rebel' and 'enemy of the people'.

* * *

Leslie Willis was a courageous woman with a mission. She saw how unjust the world can be and trusted nobody to change it, so she tried to shake things up herself. Unfortunately, people – especially those in charge – are wary of any change and stopped her before she could do even more damage.

There is an important lesson to be learned here; a lesson I didn't learn for many years and when I did, it was too late. It's the lesson Leslie wanted to teach everyone she visited, and probably the one she wanted to be her legacy.

Don't blindly trust the media. Off course, many would want you to believe to not trust the news, period, but I wouldn't go as far as to leave the adverb out of the equation. It can be good to trust the news – you should just always be critical about the news you are being presented with.

How is the news item framed? What verbs or adjectives or nouns do they use to describe certain people? Do they show favoritism towards certain topics or people, and do they report on those instead of something else? And, most importantly, who decides what you'll see on the news, and are they non-partisan or not?

Still, what they say on the news must be true. Possibly. Mind the way they talk about facts and presumptions. If something is breaking news, do they approach every detail that hasn't been confirmed as a fact, or do they use specific speech markers to indicate presumption?

The thing is, media is powerful. The way it uses language and shapes our own use of language is terrifying. If they repeat something – anything – often enough, people will start believing it, no matter the facts. There is a reason why propaganda through news reports works so well.

I am not asking you to avoid media altogether, because that's impossible. Just be careful with what you read and see, especially when it comes from questionable sources and even mostly credible sources. When information is presented to you, take it with a grain of salt if you have to. Not every news item is written or presented with good intentions at heart.


	9. Lab rat

It wasn't easy for Jefferson Jackson to find a steady job after he had finished high school and the obligatory military service. The school he attended in Central City was good enough for him to allow him to get good grades. However, the curriculum did include formal military training and many people from the poorer areas – which were usually also inhabited by minorities – sent their children to that one school. It was funded by a local rich person who wanted to invest in the future by making these children grateful enough for the proper free education so that they would choose to work for the Reich eventually. That rich person was Dr. David Palmer. But this story is not about him.

Jefferson, or Jax as he was known as, did not fall for the thinly-veiled plan. Joining the military was never an option for him, anyway. His father had died on a military mission overseas and Jax did not want his mother to lose another relative to the Reich. Going to university or continuing his education unfortunately wasn't an option, either. They did not like it when people of color became smart. Jax had to find another way of making money and doing something with his life that did not include the Reich.

He eventually settled on juggling being a postman and running a garage in his spare time. Only the former provided a steady income, even if it wasn't much. He was responsible for the mail delivery in his neighborhood, a neighborhood that many postmen never liked entering because they believed it was a dangerous neighborhood. Also, it had people of color.

(Unfortunately, even as the current situation is improving for minorities, this mentality is hard to eradicate and many fellow survivors of the Fall of the New Reich still actively think like this. I do believe it will get attention in the future. One step at a time.)

Jax was always done early with his rounds – nobody truly sent many letters anymore, and they did not trust him enough yet to send him on a route in a white neighborhood. He often had nothing to do in the afternoon and the evening. He started the garage and mechanic business to keep busy and to bring his technical expertise to the service of the neighborhood – it would also provide extra money, which would help him make ends meet.

In the beginning, only friends and acquaintances and other folks from the neighborhood visited his garage. Everyone knew everyone and when they heard Jax was willing to fix their rundown cars and secondhand bikes, they all collectively decided to give it a shot. Jax did his best to help them and only charged them what they could miss – he never asked them the full price that other garages would, as that would bankrupt them. The extra money wasn't a lot, but he was happy his neighborhood was grateful to him.

Soon, he wasn't known as Jax the postman anymore, or even 'just Jax', but Jax the mechanic. He was more than willing to help anyone any time – when he wasn't doing his rounds – and even willing to leave his garage and go to the homes of those people who could not take their cars to him anymore. He'd fix them on the spot, no extra fee charged. These actions helped many of his friends, as well as many others, who didn't have to fear to lose their jobs anymore because a lack of transportation would result in tardiness. Another positive was the steady, but little, income he received, and the knowledge that if the postal service ever fired him, he had a fallback plan. Jax had counted on that possibility, though he had not counted on his garage to become more successful than it was now.

One day, a white couple had heard of his garage and came most likely to humiliate him rather than by accident, as they claimed. They demanded him to fix a rattling sound that came from somewhere in their car. Jax went about this with the utmost care and respect and with the knowledge that even a tiny misstep would mean the end of this career, or possibly his life as he knew it. He was fully aware these customers came to ensure this misstep would happen. Possibly to make Jax' customers return to the other garage in the neighboring predominantly white neighborhood, which seemed to get a kick out of seeing the people of color's faces go pale when they see how much they owe the mechanic

However, as the customers left, the couple found nothing to complain about. they had made the mistake of advertising their intentions beforehand and when their friends learned Jax had fixed the car they probably would have sold second-hand otherwise, the word about his skills spread beyond his neighborhood. Soon, he attracted more white clients. At first, they treated him as they would every person of color, but they came to the realization that Jax did not react like they expected him to react towards all the foul words they used. He maintained a friendly, kind and professional disposition, never provocative, mean or bitter, and he treated their property with great care. It was more than enough to build some white clientele. The money they paid was equal to what they Jax's white colleagues, and he spent the excess money (the money he did not need to survive) on improving infrastructure in his neighborhood and helping some of his friends and neighbors to set up some other businesses as well, which Jax's customers could visit while Jax was doing his job. Slowly, steadily, the neighborhood started to prosper, and Jax always looked back in awe and amazement to their accomplishments – not just his, but of the neighborhood as a whole.

As you may be able to guess at this point, this happiness and amazement do not last long.

* * *

That fateful day on which his life changed, prominent members of society stopped by his garage. The car – a nice fancy car used almost exclusively by the elite – rolled in and Jax already braced himself. The driver stepped out of the car and helped, to Jax's surprise, two ladies out of the car. The driver never talked to Jax, as had become the norm, but the ladies approached him and spoke to him.

What happened that day was such a relief and a welcome change. These ladies were Clarisse and Lily Stein, wife and daughter to renowned scientist Martin Stein. The family was going to attend a conference in Star City and they were going to drive there – Jax assumed one of them hated flying – and Dr. Stein wanted to make sure the car was in excellent condition. Their driver had told him the engine had made a weird sound the last time they drove somewhere.

Jax reassured the ladies he would try his best to make sure their car would be in its best shape. As he worked, he had the pleasure of having a long conversation with the daughter, Lily, who could qualify as a professor herself, with the way she talked about her advanced science studies and other subjects Jax barely understood himself. She did not speak to him as he were a lesser person and for the first time, a white person treated him with respect. When he finished up, he wished the Steins well. They paid him what they owed, along with a 100% tip and they bade him farewell. That evening, he treated himself to his favorite meal at a nearby restaurant and otherwise stayed in, going to bed a happy man.

That all changed in a matter of hours. When Jax woke up, his house was already surrounded by soldiers who would shoot him if he made any suspicious movements. Jax never considered running or hiding away and he complied to the orders the soldiers gave him. He held his tongue, even as they forcefully cuffed him, hurting his wrists and treating him poorly on their way out of the neighborhood.

They did not go to the nearest police station or to one of the nearby camps. Instead, they drove deeper into town, into the business quarter. Only when the car door opened did Jax know that they were taking him to Mercury Labs, the soldiers forcing him to go inside through the back door. They brought him into an elevator that led to the 27th floor – nearly the top floor – where professor doctor Martin Stein was waiting for him.

The scientist wore a lab coat, even in this office, and he glared at Jax with an ice-cold gaze. The soldiers forced Jax to walk towards the desk, but they did not allow him to sit down. Two stood next to him when Dr. Stein rose to his feet.

"Jefferson Jackson." Hatred dripped from just these two words, his glare piercing right into Jax's soul. Jax tried to politely bow his head.

"Dr. Stein, I presume," he said, glancing around uncomfortably. At that moment, he had no idea what would happen, and so he was rightfully anxious. Dr. Stein walked around his desk and towards him until there was only a couple of feet between them. Jax tried his hardest not to look Dr. Stein in the eye, as not to provoke him, but it was harder than he anticipated.

"What was your plan?" Dr. Stein quietly asked, almost too quiet for the microphones attached to the security cameras to pick up.

Jax frowned. "Excuse me?" Dr. Stein took a small step forward, and Jax noticed another emotion in his eyes – besides the fury, there was also sorrow.

"What did you think you were going to achieve when you tampered with the breaks?"

"But I didn't…" Jax began, but he stopped once the meaning of Dr. Stein's words sank in. He shook his head. "No, that can't be. I repaired them—"

"Or you didn't," Stein interrupted him. "You didn't look at them on purpose."

Jax shook his head once, intending not to move too much. "With all due respect, sir," he said in a neutral and non-provocative tone, "but I want my customers to leave with a fully-functioning and fixed car. I do not want anyone to get hurt."

There was a short moment of silence, and neither of them seemed to know what else to say. Jax felt sorry for the old man who had just lost his family. Jax did not know of the circumstances during which they died, or were mortally wounded, but he did figure the man placed the blame on him because of their visit to his garage earlier the day.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Jax eventually said, averting his side, "They seemed nice."

"You don't get to talk about them," Stein sneered at him, "You took my wife and daughter away from me. Now I will take your freedom."

As if on cue, the guards dragged him out of the office. Jax only broke down in tears and fully understood what was going on once the guards placed him in a holding cell. There he waited, unsure about his fate, wondering what Stein might do to him. minutes turned into hours and hours turned into days. They did not take him out of the cell for the first couple of days; they never dimmed the lights or let him see the light of day; meals only came irregularly and Jax learned to eat as much as he could, no matter whether he felt hungry or not, because he would never know when the next meal would be brought to him within ten or twenty hours.

Only after what he guessed must have been his twenty-first day of imprisonment did someone come to collect him. It was a nice-looking scientist who seemed concerned about him, but who probably did not want to go against Dr. Stein's will either. Some guards dragged him to a lab, where the scientists prepared for some testing. She did not seem particularly comfortable and Jax first thought she may be forced to do this as well. Stein may not be the CEO of the company, but he was a big enough influence that he might as well be.

They tested a particular new device on him. Once activated, Jax had lost all train of thoughts and just existed merely for the suggestions of orders. He had been stripped of his free will and made compliant. After they deactivated the device, Jax was in mental distress. Nobody offered him any support afterward – they never had support – he was simply pushed back into his cell and left to deal with the problem himself, his jailer happy with the results of the test.

That was one of the milder experiments they performed on him, but it was morally still unethical. I will not list any other experiments; I have no footage because they keep them safely under wraps, and I do not wish to give it any attention either. This was the only experiment that we know of that certainly happened.

This cycle of imprisonment and final testing of experimental treatments or devices continued well into his life and even until after the Fall of the New Reich. And one day, someone from the inside of Mercury Labs sued Dr. Stein for his actions towards Jax, dragging him in front of the court. It was not the scientist he often saw that accompanied him or anyone else whom Jax had been forced to work with, but she was concerned enough and raised enough alarms about the situation to free him from his precarious situation. The judge eventually ruled in her favor and he sent Dr. Stein to prison – not a camp! – for his human right crimes and experimenting in an unsafe environment on a person. Stein's defense, which relied firmly on racism, did not work as he had planned and his lawyer never defended another case when the news came out that all accusations were not only true but much worse than they first had seemed.

It was a beautiful moment when Jax reunited with his mother after years of solitary confinement, though it did hurt. A bright young man who had had such a beautiful future ahead of him was beaten and worn down for the longest time, and then to see him be so relieved when he finally walked on the streets again and breathe fresh air and be intimate with another human being again.

* * *

It must not have been easy to testify and tell this story again. My deepest gratitude goes to Jefferson Jackson, who was willing to share his side of this story with me. His story may not have been one of defiance of any kind, we cannot afford to forget the 'little guy' can make it big and that the inherent racism that lies at the basis of his downfall cannot and should not be tolerated. If he had not been a person of color, he would not have had to suffer the fate he had suffered, which is unacceptable to me now.

Those who know me might think me a hypocrite because until recently I would have wholeheartedly agreed with Dr. Stein and thought that his actions were more than justified. However, unlike Dr. Stein, I learned from my mistakes; an especially remarkable man helped me realize I could change in a way nobody else could.

But this is not about me. This is about men and women like Jax, who got the short end of the stick by being part of a minority, and because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Many more like him are locked up in prisons or camps, and we should identify them and give them back the freedom they deserve.


	10. Director

Lyla Michaels is one of the biggest names within A.R.G.U.S. Even after the merger with the D.E.O. she stayed a prominent member of the organization. She is an expert combatant and markswoman and she can handle anything thrown at her. As the head of A.R.G.U.S., she had a lot of responsibilities and learned many skills, making her a force to be reckoned with. She is everything someone could aspire to be. Though not many knew exactly what the organization did – and, subsequently, Lyla Michaels –, they knew it must be important. Her performance drew in a lot of new recruits, as she was one of the most famous members of the organization.

Whereas the D.E.O. focused primarily on aliens, A.R.G.U.S. had always been a bigger organization by having to take care of everything not-alien related, especially when their main task became to take down any rebels and vigilantes before the public knew about them. Later, when the Freedom Fighters became more prominent in the streets and in the public's mind, A.R.G.U.S. stepped a bit out of the shadows and became the main organization tracking them down so that the New Reichsmen could kill them. Still, Director Michaels never let that one terrorist group distract her from taking down the smaller rebels as well.

However, there is more to Lyla Michaels than first meets the eye. Much like Alex Danvers years prior, she was keeping a small secret that could have big consequences. She also was smart enough to keep it to herself and not involve anyone else, not even her husband. This is her story.

* * *

This particular story and the events leading up to her developing her secret are intrinsically tied to one man. Without him, she would have never had her moment of enlightenment. Without him, there would be no secret to keep. Because there already is an extensive amount of resources concerning Lyla Michaels as a person outside of this context, I will not be going over that information. They go over her life more eloquently and more clearly than I ever will.

Lyla Michaels met John Diggle after returning to America with his fellow soldiers. She had invited some of them over to the A.R.G.U.S. headquarters in the hopes of possibly recruiting some of those men into her own ranks. The men would be able to continue their work on the New Reich mainland, not needing to go overseas anymore. It was also good publicity – there never is such a thing as 'too much good publicity'.

John Diggle caught her eye immediately. When she was talking to him, their conversation was civil and respectful. They came to agree on most issues she discussed with him and when either one did not agree with the point of view of the other, they respectfully disagreed.

It was a one-time meeting, but John had left such a remarkable impression that she remembered him long after that day. However, fate decided that three months after their initial meeting, they saw each other on the streets. She had taken the day off and so had he. Their second meeting was purely coincidental and without any formal implications, they talked about much more than was possible the last time. She ended up buying him a coffee and they exchanged phone numbers before parting once again.

Lyla Michaels knew she had fallen for the soldier. After their third date, it became clear the soldier had fallen for her, too. He asked her to come to live with him and after six months of living together, they decided to get married. They did not see the purpose of waiting any longer. Why would they? They were happy and in love and got along extremely well – it would be strange not to be married. Their wedding date would coincide with the day Lyla first met John the year prior.

Lyla decided not to take John's name. Many wondered why that wasn't an option for her: the Diggle name had become kind of prestigious, with both sons – one of whom she married – as well as their father and grandfather being war veterans. The Michaels name had no prestige tied to it. Lyla told those who had that question that she could make her own decisions, that John was okay with it and that prestige in name recognition did not matter. She did not care about prestige or elitism in the current system, anyway. She was only concerned about being there for John and being a good partner.

Eight months later, the news broke that Lyla would be taking a temporary step back from her position as a director. The journalists soon discovered Mrs. Michaels was pregnant, which justified her break. She did stay at the office to oversee everything and take a backseat, but not to stay at home. Some rogue Freedom Fighters who saw her as an enemy at a time decided this was the perfect time to strike. Their General did not authorize their actions, which were merely reckless actions of three youths who wanted to impress him by taking out this enemy. They did not keep in mind the obvious consequences, such as swaying the public's opinion away from the Freedom Fighters by killing the A.R.G.U.S. director, and that they would not be safe from the New Reich that would most likely retaliate.

The evening did not go as the three youths – two boys and a girl – thought it would go. They broke into the Diggle-Michaels house around noon, triggering the silent alarm. Lyla immediately left for her house and quickly subdued the teenagers, despite her being in the sixth month into her pregnancy. She shot one of the boys in the shoulder, after which the other two surrendered. She had planned to keep them at gunshot until the police arrived, but she lowered her gun when she noticed their young faces. She allowed the girl to help her friend while the second boy told her why they were doing this. for the first time, Lyla was exposed to the world she helped create – the three all had family members who were, in their opinion, previously wrongly murdered by A.R.G.U.S.

The police came and took the youths away. They seemed rather careless about the boy's wounds and Lyla had to ask them to give him medical attention before the police considered helping the kid to stay alive. At that moment, her respect towards the police decreased significantly and when the city – and consequently, the Reich – did not see any reason to reprimand the officers for their behavior, she lost faith in the city as well. This provided the groundwork for big change within her mindset later on.

She may have had this realization, but she had been smart enough not to voice her concerns. It was a kind of comment that would get her needlessly investigated and the city needed to spend their resources elsewhere. She also didn't want John, now an A.R.G.U.S. agent, to hear how critical she spoke about their own security system, their police forces. He'd agree with them and not with her; those kids broke into the house with ill intent, they should have known better. Those had been his exact words when she expressed doubt over whether it was okay to shoot the boy. That one line was enough to know to keep her critical thinking to herself; she could already see him betraying her in the future – 'for the good of the Reich' – and that was something she wanted to avoid. It was better to continue her work, even with a critical mindset, and to banish those thoughts to the back of her mind.

* * *

When the little boy was born, her world had changed for the better. She could now add "mother" to the long list of accomplishments and she loved him dearly. John was there for the birth of his son and when Lyla first held him for that brief moment, she knew she could not go back to the person she was before.

"What's his name?" the midwife asked them.

"John," Lyla's husband said. They had decided this beforehand. John Diggle, Jr., son of the director of A.R.G.U.S. and a third-generation veteran. He could already see the future of his child: he would go to school to the prestigious Star City Academy. He would learn how to be a proper soldier with his weapon of choice, or he would less likely go down a more academic road and become a scientist. He would meet children of other prominent members of society and he would be exclusively conversing with them. John Jr. himself would become such a prominent member of society, serving as a soldier or – if he was lucky – a New Reichsman. He would meet a nice woman to marry and have children with a continue the veteran bloodline and elitism ingrained in his mind.

That was where Mrs. Michaels drew the line. Like many elite families, John talked about the future of his child as if it was set. The Queen and Merlyn families, the Palmer family, and many others had spoken like that about their children, who were now adults in their own right and who had no idea there was another way of thinking than "them versus us", other than they were better than the common folk. They were the elite. It was a dangerous mindset that has been prevalent even before the birth of Lyla's son, but one she had not specifically seen or paid attention to until that moment. It put enormous pressure on the child to perform well and to 'be better', to impress the parents that feigned not to be impressed so the child can push harder and work harder.

This was the push Lyla needed to start thinking critically about her world. On every street corner, she noticed something – an action, a poster, anything – that she had systematically ignored throughout her life. It slowly came back, over time, and as she watched her son grow up, the critical mindset returned and Lyla made it her own. That was the small secret: she fundamentally came to disagree with everything she once so proudly fought for because of her son's birth and it was messing with her head. Lyla hated the confusing and contradicting messages her brain gave her.

There came a decided winner: Lyla Michaels was no longer a loyal director. She saw the evil inherently built in the Führer's reign and she knew the consequences of her speaking out against it. And still, she struggled to come to terms with this change in mentality.

That was why the divorce was so painful. She still loved John – she truly did – but she hated to keep secrets from him, both classified and personal ones. She also needed the space to figure out who and what she wanted to be, and what she was going to do next. True, it might be easier with John by her side, but she did not want to drag him along as she ran through the dark to try and find the light, the confirmation that what she was feeling was alright, the comfort of feeling good about those critical thoughts.

John was a stubborn man. He would not easily be persuaded into believing their Führer was a cruel man and that their General was a selfish woman. He would not accept a possible regime change as easily as Lyla would. There was a chance he wouldn't accept her divergent thoughts. Maybe he'd turn her in; maybe he'd stay. But this situation was too much for to handle alongside her trying to figure out what she wanted her place in the world to be.

The divorce devastated him, but he decided to go through with it for his wife's mental health. He quit his job and became a private security guard. Lyla continued her work at A.R.G.U.S. and hoped every day to find the answer she was looking for. Their son stayed with his father and mother, alternating between weeks, but Lyla and John did not communicate with each other for a long time.

* * *

After the fall of the New Reich, Lyla and John found each other again. The circumstances are unknown, but neither one blamed the other for what had happened between them. They started talking again. John expressed he wasn't one hundred percent happy with his country's new leaders, but he wasn't going to do something radical to change it. Lyla had helped to form this government, in her own way, and she did not apologize for it towards him. she had discovered who she was going to be and now led A.R.G.U.S. in a more just way. At the end of the day, they left on amicable turns, both a little wiser and more knowledgeable about the other side of the argument.

Later, they somehow found their way back to one another. They still held their own distinct beliefs, but they made it work. Neither forced their son to adhere to their way of thinking – John Jr. was going to figure out for himself what he thought was right, like his mother before him, with only guidance from his parents and no doctrine.

Though it may seem impossible, different beliefs can coexist peacefully, as Mrs. Michaels and Mr. Diggle have demonstrated. They can make it work, and so can everyone in this new country one day. Just not right this day.


	11. Guardian

So far, I have twice described the lives of a black man and how things changed for the worse. However, it does not always go like this for a person of color; the previous two men have had the worst of luck imaginable, but it can be different.

Not all people belonging to a minority just lower their heads and go about their daily lives with caution and care. Some of them actively seek out violence and are not afraid to speak their minds. Others are crazy enough to don a mask and a costume, to call themselves a vigilante with a cool codename and take to the streets. They actively paint a bullseye on their back, provide target practice for cops and New Reich soldiers and generally thwart the day-to-day business of the New Reich.

There was one man in particular who pestered the Reich like this. he was a good man, a protector of the weak and, in his last moments, he stood up for them even as he lay down. The Führer stood over him, his bow drawn back to fire those last arrows. Many know him as James, but this is the story of how he came to be the Guardian.

* * *

James Olsen, as he was known as, had a relatively good childhood. His father was an outspoken person and vocal opponent of the New Reich. He never said it into anyone's face who didn't need to know, but inside his house, he talked loudly about his distaste towards the Reich.

Little Jimmy Olsen picked up all those ideas from his father. He was a good kid and anyone who knew him would say he was a nice person. But even at that age, if someone dared to cross him or tried to push an opinion onto him, he always said or did something about it. Unlike his father, he never got the lesson to keep the divergent opinions to himself. Hardly anyone could blame him – he was a ten-year-old who didn't know better and thought it was okay to loudly proclaim the Reich was the worst. The problem was that his father encouraged him to have these thoughts instead of complying to the oppressive regime. The message to be careful with those thoughts and opinions was never made clear.

Things changed for the worse as he grew older and became a teenager. Their family wasn't that wealthy, to begin with. When his mother fell ill, they did not have the money to both survive and heal their mother. Medicine was expensive and his mother preferred to die than to see her son starve to buy her what she needed. She passed quickly, and Jimmy and his father were glad the illness hadn't been transmitted to them.

Not much later, his father was taken away from him as well. People had heard Jimmy say those things you shouldn't say out loud and reported him. They did not send him to a prison camp, for the sole reason that people knew (through Jimmy) that his father didn't exactly punish him for saying and thinking these things. He was still a teenager – his thoughts were still malleable. They took away his father and attempted to condition Jimmy into adopting a more acceptable opinion.

Jimmy never went to school again. He ran and focused on staying alive. As a fourteen-year-old, this wasn't very easy. Especially not because of the everyday racism that had only grown because of his status as a homeless and his skin color. During one of his journeys downtown, he found a friend, Gareth, who was living off of the street, too. He brought Jimmy to a big group of people from all walks of life who were also trying to survive. They accepted Jimmy into the group, and from then on, he stopped using the nickname 'Jimmy'. It was the end of an era, so it felt appropriate.

His new family provided for him and he provided for them. They were scavengers who didn't have a lot of money and who made their home in the abandoned hangar at the edge of the city. Life went by from day to day and year to year. For the longest time, James could not tell whether it was Tuesday or Thursday without seeing it in a newspaper. They didn't have a calendar to mark the passing of the days; they only had one clock that was sort of correct, maybe off by an hour at most.

James and the kid who brought him in, Gareth, grew up with him. They were like brothers. Many times, they had bailed each other out of the police station. Whenever they went out on the streets, they knew they had each other's back. While James was the brute force, Gareth was smaller and more nimble than James could ever be. One day, James and Gareth went deep into the city. Gareth was rather reckless and decided to do something bold. James initially cheered him on but later changed his mind about it. Still, he wasn't able to stop his friend when an idea popped up in his head.

The cops were quick and ruthless. As soon as they saw Gareth go straight for the Queen property with weapons, they did not hesitate and shot him dead. This was before Oliver Queen became the Führer, but the family was already famous enough for Gareth to try to break in there. It had turned into a suicide mission and after witnessing his death from a hiding spot, James turned and ran.

He only returned home to tell the others about Gareth's fate. James then left for the last time and permanently moved into the city as one of the resident homeless people. Without Gareth, it did not feel right to stay there anymore.

While in the city, James concluded that today's society contributed to the poverty of minorities and lower class people. Born into poverty meant you could not afford to be more wealthy, and the already wealthy grew more wealthy. Today's society incriminated anyone who wanted to rise above the class they had been so unluckily born into and James wanted to do something about it.

Of course, it would be difficult for someone like him to eradicate poverty. So he did the next best thing: protect the vulnerable and poorest layer of society from police brutality and other instances of authorities abusing their powers.

* * *

James Olsen became the Guardian overnight. He raided an old New Reich facility to find some body armor to protect himself – he wasn't going to just throw himself into a fight without protection – and even found a nice shield he could use. With some spray-paint he found in the facility as well, he painted an old design of the American flag on the shield. Not many people would know the flag or what it used to stand for, but James knew. He remembered this from his father's stories about an America that was no New Reich, about an America that stood for everything this Reich was not.

With his costume ready, James was ready to take to the streets as the Guardian. However, his vigilante career started in a rough way. That is, he did not really have anything to do at all. He did not know where the cops were going to be or on which street corner he could find crime, and he didn't just want to pick fights with the cops. It would only prove the point that vigilantes were dangerous rebels, however hypocritical that may sound coming from an organization that literally wanted the public to cheer on the 'approved vigilante squad', a.k.a. the New Reichsmen. Then again, it is the New Reich and they encouraged their people not to overthink things.

So, for a long time, James had no work as a vigilante at all. He did look for trouble but more often than not, trouble found him. It presented itself as a couple of cops going into the alley and figuring the man in the crazy costume must be a vigilante and therefore must be stopped, though they were never certain who he was.

"I'm the Guardian," he told them, though he wasn't exactly guarding anyone. Surprisingly enough, he always managed to defeat them. this was a result of the cops being ill-equipped to deal with vigilantes in person – that was the job of A.R.G.U.S. and the New Reichsmen – so he still managed to win whenever he found himself in a fight with them.

The police decided to keep a file on this mysterious Guardian that had popped up out of nowhere. It just so happened that when the police had a file on a vigilante, the Freedom Fighters marked this vigilante as a person of interest. Rebels aren't just found in the field. There were second and even third-generation rebels in the base and very few people decided to join them without having any previous ties to any rebels whatsoever. The persons of interest were a good source of recruitment. They did not need to stick around the base; they could still operate independently from the Freedom Fighters, but when the General asked for help, they were supposed to answer that call.

Late one evening, James was wearing his suit and hanging around an alley where he'd been before. He was convinced something was going to happen there that night – something that would prove his worth as a vigilante without having to confront law enforcement.

"Guardian." James turned around, his shield up and his body in a defensive stance. He hadn't been taken by surprise before then and expected a hail of bullets to fly over him.

But there were no bullets. James slowly lowered his shield so he could see who was calling his name. It was not the cops or even a group of people. It was a young man with stubble and a harsh look in his eyes. Everything about his appearance screamed military and the Guardian did not take this knowledge for granted. This confrontation could still go south.

"Who the hell are you?" James asked the man.

"The general," he responded. The Guardian shook his head once.

"I'm pretty sure she's an alien."

"Not that one," the man said and he took a couple of steps closer towards the vigilante. "I've come to strike a deal. One-time offer."

"And what's that?" The Guardian eyed the man – this 'general' – suspiciously. He did not lower his shield.

"We can train you," the general said. "Make you better, give you better equipment."

"And the catch?"

"You come work for us." The man may have paused for dramatic tension, but one can never know for sure. "The Freedom Fighters."

Just like that, James' worries concerning this mystery general melted like snow in the sun. That was all he had needed to say in the first place if he'd wanted to convince James.

"Deal."

James spent the next few months at the Freedom Fighters base and trained to be a better fighter. He got to know many members that survived long enough, such as Leonard Snart and Ray Terrill. He trained with them, as a sort of substitute for training against the New Reichsmen. When he had become a proficient fighter, he did not return to his favorite alleys. He stayed with them and helped them out, growing closer to these people than he ever imagined possible. He found a caring family again, all united by the one cause of taking down the New Reich's regime. He was happy to help and slowly defeated the New Reich alongside his friends, his partners in crime, whenever he had the chance.

* * *

James' last mission was in late 2017. The Freedom Fighters had nearly finished a project that would make it easier to bring refugees to the different Earths they knew existed, and they could go ask for help on the other Earths as well if those heroes weren't too busy. They had a lot of soldiers on the ground, all previously vigilantes or Freedom Fighters-related rebels, present to guard the hangar. The Guardian was there as well.

The Führer came to take care of this situation. His rigorous training and his inability to hold back even the slightest bit resulted in a one-sided massacre. Nobody could get a hit on him while the Dark Arrow killed everyone who guarded the hangar. The Guardian was the last man standing, bravely fighting Mr. Queen, but he ultimately failed to make it back alive. He could not prevent the inter-dimensional portal to be used by the New Reich for nefarious purposes.

Many people I know believe minorities rarely stand up for themselves. It's ingrained in their being through violence that standing up for themselves results in torture and death. I would like to present those people this particular tale of an unusual vigilante, a true hero of the people. James Olsen was so much more than a homeless guy. He was a guardian who saved many lives and paid the ultimate price.


	12. Justice prevails

When Lily Stein awoke from her coma, her father sat by her bedside. She woke up, confused about her environment. Hadn't she been sitting in the car? They had been driving home in horrendous weather. Somehow, she had ended up in a hospital bed. She panicked and almost hyperventilated, the memories of that evening and the crash flooding her mind, hitting her like a tsunami.

"It's alright," Dr. Stein said. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "You're here, you're safe."

Lily calmed down, as far as that was possible for the situation. She turned her head to the other side, expecting to see her mother there. Clarissa Stein was not present. She had been resting in her grave for three months now.

Her father broke the sad news and Lily broke down in tears. Her mother was gone; she couldn't even say goodbye. Dr. Stein leaned in to give her a hug and comfort her during these hard times. They talked about what had happened and Dr. Stein said something he really should not have said.

"Don't worry, darling," Dr. Stein told her, "the culprit will be sufficiently punished."

Lily furrowed her brow. "What do you mean."

The mechanic will get his due. I'll make sure of that."

Lily slowly shook her head, flabbergasted, and she leaned back against the pillows, piled up to support her sitting upright. "It wasn't him."

She remembered it clearly. Their driver would have been home early if it weren't for the check-up of the car. He had expressed his dismay about time with his family being stolen away from him. He only dared to speak because Dr. Stein wasn't with them. When they finally returned home after the visit to the garage – which had taken longer than the driver liked – it had started to pour. The driver wanted to be home so badly that he had speeded. Clarissa noticed and told him to slow down. Initially, he had listened to her, but he soon speeded again. On a particularly slippery road, he had lost his grip due to the excessive speed and the car slipped. It crashed into the side of a building. The driver miraculously only suffered a broken rib and a bruised leg. The Steins were off far worse. Lily had sustained brain damage and had fallen into a coma. Clarissa Stein passed away on the way to the hospital.

The driver testified at the police station. To save himself, he claimed Jax had worked on the brakes and 'fixed' them, but the driver thought the mechanic had tampered with them. He would have braked properly if it weren't for the tinkering and the sabotage of the malicious black-skinned mechanic. Dr. Stein learned of this and persuaded the cops not to arrest him. Instead, he brought Jax to his lab and began serving as Dr. Stein's unofficial lab rat.

Lily was horrified to learn what her father had been doing and she was disgusted by the proud and vengeful tone in his voice. She could not believe that Jax should be blamed for something because it was the easy thing to do and she barely cared about the fact that she missed out on three months of her life.

However, she knew she would not be able to talk her father out of this crazy plan. from birth, he had tried to instill into her brain that she deserved this great life they were leading; she was a Stein, for goodness' sake, a descendant from Germans! Fair-skinned and blue-eyed and with great name recognition, she was told she would get everything she ever wanted and that she deserved it, that she should be unapologetic for her behavior.

And yet, her mother managed to keep her humble and, well, kept her from acting like a true Stein. She took more after her mother than her father would like. He did kind of blame his wife for telling Lily time and time again that minorities didn't deserve to be discriminated against and that they deserved the same rights as whites.

Lily told Dr. Stein she wanted to be alone, and he obeyed and left the room. Each time he came to visit her during her stay in the hospital, their conversations were short and cold. Lily refused to smile or feel good around her father unless he promised to release Jax. He could not even lie to her to get some affection, and he no longer stayed by her bedside for an hour, but merely five minutes.

As soon as Lily was allowed to leave the hospital, she cut ties with her father. No matter what he tried, she did not want to talk to him. As far as she was concerned, he might as well have been dead.

* * *

She visited the company her father worked for once. She came in completely unannounced and did something her father would be proud of; she used her name and status to get access to areas she shouldn't have access to. Excuse me, do you know who I am? I demand to see the security tapes immediately. The poor employees must have had a big scare – "my god, there's two of them" – but they pulled up the security tapes she wanted to see. Lily took a quick picture and left before anyone could alert Dr. Stein that his daughter had asked to see the security tapes and took a picture of some footage showing Jax's imprisoned life.

She brought this to her first lawyer, presenting her case to him. However, he was not willing to help her out. Pictures, however authentic they may be, could be doctored. It was her against Mercury Labs and her testimony would be drowned out by the hundreds of employees the defense could call to the stand – employees who would probably confirm there was no prisoner held inside the facility.

Lily sought out more lawyers, but they all told her the same things. She always left feeling disappointed in the system, but with hope. She eventually decided it was worth the wait. The perfect moment would present itself eventually. It will come, she told herself. Her father would be brought to justice for what he was doing to Jax.

* * *

Lily's patience paid off. After the Fall of the New Reich, she contacted a brilliant lawyer who was willing to defend her case. She dragged her father to court at last, to a judge was not afraid of the wrath of Dr. Stein and who only cared about fair trials and punishment. He previously refused to sentence a Latina to a prison camp because, like Jax, she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Dr. Stein and his lawyer relied heavily on racism and the Stein reputation. Yet, that defense did not defend Dr. Stein at all; it only further proved Stein was more than capable of holding a black boy captive because he happened to have fixed the car on the day of an otherwise unrelated accident. Lily's lawyer had gathered enough information in the meantime to prove that Stein had indeed been keeping Jax prisoner. This included a surprising testimony of Stein's long-time friend and protégée Dr. Caitlin Snow, who condemns Dr. Stein and strongly disagrees with his actions.

The judge ruled in Lily's favor. He declared Dr. Stein guilty of violating human rights and illegal experimentations. Lily had won and the case was reported in the media all over the country.

Dr. Stein went to prison, where he stayed until his death. Lily was allowed to join the police as they went to Mercury Labs to free Jax. He looked different than the first time they'd seen each other. He'd become dangerously thin and his body was covered with scars in different shapes and sizes. There once would've been a smile on his face, but that had been beaten out of him a long time ago. His eyes were empty and seemed lifeless. The most telling was that, when the door opened for the final time, Jax did not react anymore. He just waited for them to take him away with his head bowed down.

"Jax." The prisoner lifted his head, if only out of curiosity – the guards never spoke a word to him – and his eyes widened in confusion when he saw Lily. "You're free."

It took him a while to process the meaning of those specific words. He glanced at the door leading to the labs as they passed it and walked to the elevator. Only when he saw the lobby and, through the glass, the outside world again did it truly sink in. He was free.

Standing outside was a woman he hadn't seen in a long time: his mother. He couldn't help himself and the tears streamed down his face. It only grew worse when he finally held his mother in his arms again. They did not let go for at least ten minutes. They cried on each other's shoulders, not minding or even noticing the press standing around them, shooting footage and pictures of the reunion. When all was said and done and Jax was ready to go home, both he and his mother turned to Lily and extensively thanked her.

To this day, she is still a good friend of the Jackson family. She also has become a prominent advocate against race-based discrimination and she used the Stein name recognition to call for a more tolerant society.

Vigilantes in this part don't necessarily need to be heroes who punch bad guys in the face. as previously established, they can be everyday people fighting the injustices without any violence. Lily Stein saved a life at the cost of her father's freedom, a price she's paid willingly and gladly. She more than deserves this entry.


	13. Wild Dog

It is not unusual that the New Reich makes mistakes. They will never openly admit it, but they do make them. These mistakes originate from arrogance and the knowledge that nobody will point them out and call the New Reich out for it, because – as previously stated – the Reich does not make mistakes.

Every so often, one of those mistakes has catastrophic results for some outstanding members of society. Often they will apologize privately, but they will also deny that anything bad actually happened in public, directly or indirectly. This dual approach may drive the most loyal and noble men to do what the New Reich considered to be bad things. This almost always resulted in outbursts of violence and defiance, after which the person was subdued and sent away.

There is one man, however, who didn't let his vengeance blind him so much as to blatantly walk into a trap or do reckless things, such as storming the Führer's home. (That happened. Someone in the past tried it and died.) He actually thought things through and decided that reckless was wrong. And this vigilante also took a different approach than the others. Instead of targeting the police forces and possibly cleaning up the streets in the process, this man solely targeted the military. Hit them where it hurts, he would say. Take out their special forces and immobilize them. force them on their knees.

The "Wild Dog" goes down in history as a rogue vigilante and a legend. In this chapter, you will learn how he came to be this vigilante.

* * *

Rene Ramirez was a good man. He had a good life, found love with a nice woman named Laura and they had a daughter who they called Zoe. After high school, he enrolled in the military and was sent on a mission twice. Once to patrol some dissident regions down in South America and to keep the peace, and once to Australia, in one of the last attempts to capture and conquer the big island as a new territory for the New Reich.

He returned home as a war veteran, to a proud wife and a proud little girl who looked up to her father. Seeing them again was such a great change he decided to settle down and to try to find a job close to home – a job that didn't include him potentially dying far away from home. He became an office worker and spend more time with his family than he previously could. The job did not pay much, but Laura also had a steady job and together, they made enough to provide for their little girl and so they stayed in the category of "middle class". They weren't doing as well as some better-off families, but at least they weren't poor.

Unfortunately, this story also has a sad backstory. The happy Rene would never have thought he would ever go up against the government he once so vehemently defended and fought for. If this man had known what he would do in the future, he wouldn't have believed it.

The New Reich had received intel about a possible domestic terrorist who was going to attack a public building, possibly with a bomb. The target was a woman with a loving husband and a daughter named Zoe. It was not Laura Ramirez, but I won't blame you for thinking that it was her based off of that description. The police forces also believed that it was Laura Ramirez (their intel did not include a last name ) and wrongly targeted her.

They busted down the door of the house. Laura, Rene, and Zoe were at home when it happened. As soon as they saw Laura, they fatally shot her. Rene was in the same room when this happened – Zoe luckily didn't witness it. Rene told them their daughter was upstairs and he obliged with every command they gave him, even while he mourned and grieved the death of his wife and even though he did not behave very nicely towards them. He swore and yelled and tried to spit in their face. This led to his eventual arrest.

Two weeks later, he was released into the public again after he proved Laura wasn't the criminal they wanted and that he was not an accomplice to her wicked actions. Finally, he could properly mourn the death of his wife and visit her grave – he'd been buried while he was in custody. The New Reich did apologize, but never made any solid promises towards him nor did they give him compensation for her death.

Another blow to his trust and blind loyalty to the New Reich came only hours later. He came home to find he was the only one there. Some people from child services had taken away his daughter and put her in foster care. The couple she had been placed with had gotten a negative image of him – mostly because of what the propaganda television news had told them – and refused to give Zoe back to him. child services were no help either, and they supported the foster parents. Worst of all, he wasn't even allowed to go anywhere near his daughter because she was too traumatized and – so the couple told him – she didn't want to see him. That was the last straw. His whole world had already crashed down and later, he would say that him not being allowed to see his daughter single-handedly took away any sympathy he had left for the New Reich. What government would allow this to happen to an innocent man, to such a loyal soldier?

He wasn't the loyal soldier anymore. He did continue to play the part so as not to be targeted by the police or special forces. If there was anything he had learned over the years was that the best way to do things you wanted to do, was to convince everyone you still supported the New Reich – they would never pin you as a suspect that way.

So Rene donned the hockey mask and constructed some plans to hit the military. Some were straight up heists while others were more pure suburban terror. He broke into the houses of wives of soldiers on mission and scared the hell out of them, always making sure not to show his face. With the bombs he stole, he targeted weapon factories and even some training facilities. Nobody could ever get a clear shot of his face and the media only ever showed him in the hockey mask. People assumed he was just a guy who got a kick out of terrorizing women and children. They did not take him seriously – they were confused to hear that same man had attacked military facilities, veterans and soldiers in training, disrupting their lives as well as weapon production.

Rene, or "Wild Dog" as the media dubbed him, had become a prominent figure in the news. They did not shy away from calling him a domestic terrorist. Rene himself was happy with the confusion and mystery surrounding the character of Wild Dog; unpredictable and bold in a bad way. Better yet, nobody had connected the dots between him and Wild Dog, allowing him to continue his normal life as if nothing had happened. He continued to try to get visiting rights for his daughter, but the New Reich was dead set on keeping them apart. He would have to muster a bit more patience.

Everything went wrong after nine months. He had gotten hurt when he hijacked a truck with guns and other war supplies and had to break off the theft attempt. Assuming he was safe, he hid in an alleyway. A concerned citizen had spotted him and called the police. They easily arrested him and brought him to the police station.

That evening, Wild Dog died and Rene Ramirez was stripped from his freedom.

* * *

Rene was cuffed to the desk in the interrogation room of the police station. They had left him in there for at least thirty minutes without anyone checking up on him. You'd think he would be able to break out, but that is where you – and Rene at that moment – are wrong. He tried to escape but didn't succeed. They had taken his armor away from him, leaving him in his shirt and pants; they confiscated the hockey mask and all of the weapons he had on him when he was arrested. Every other weapon at home would no doubt be confiscated, too.

A middle-aged woman, only a few years older than Rene, walked into the interrogation room. she looked impeccable in her pantsuit. As soon as she walked into the room, the brunette looked at the prisoner and shook her head, folding her arms.

Rene looked at her with indifference. He knew he had made her job significantly harder the last few months, but he hadn't cared. They had known each other – they had joined the military training academy around the same time, but she dropped out to become a police officer instead. He felt no sympathy for the woman who stood before him. Dinah Drake, sergeant of the Star City police department. What an honor it must be for her to be interrogating the Wild Dog instead of any other officer inside the building.

"What the hell happened to you, Rene?" She asked him. Rene shrugged his shoulders.

"Nothing." It was true. _Nothing_ had happened to him. At least, nothing that had led to him taking up his vigilante mantle. If anything, something happened to the people closest to him and he found a productive way to pick up the pieces. "They killed my wife and took my daughter away from me."

"So you decide to become a vigilante?" Dinah asked. She unfolded her arms and walked closer to him, sitting down in the chair on the other side of the desk. She clasped her hands together and stared at Rene with a neutral expression on her face.

Rene leaned back in his chair. "I'm not answering that without a lawyer."

He knew he wasn't going to get a lawyer assigned to him. They were not going to try him. The only ones who had the luxury of being tried were dissident metahumans, low-life criminals, or those who would generate great television. Big name criminals, such as Rene, were sent to prison camps almost immediately after their capture. There wasn't a police van available to bring him away at the moment, so that is why he was cooped up in the police station.

Dinah shifted in her seat. "I've been following you. Quite an impressive record." Rene looked away. if she had expected an answer, he was not going to give it to her. "I can understand targeting facilities, but random homes?"

"They're not random," he said. "and I never hurt anyone." His tone suggested defensiveness. He never did hurt the housewives he came across. He only ever did it to scare their husbands on mission, to worry them and to keep their heads out of the game. A soldier doesn't work properly when their thoughts are somewhere else.

"But you did a lot of damage," Dinah pointed out. Rene shrugged again as if to say he didn't care. He assumed she was referring to the warehouses and materials and weapons he destroyed. The more of those things were gone, the better. If she referred to the people he had scared… he never laid a finger on them. He just had shown up, scared them and left when he was certain he was spotted by the housewife.

Dinah stood up, keeping her hand palms placed on the table. "I can't keep you out of there forever," she told him. "You're going to prison for what you've done."

The tone she used did not match the words coming out of her mouth. She spoke softly and in a humane way – the police sergeant would have been expected to use a harsh tone and calling him out for every little mistake he's made. It made her look more sympathetic. After all, Dinah still had considered Rene as her friend until she found out he was hiding behind the Wild Dog mask. Her disappointment was genuine and she wished he had made better life choices.

"And you?" Rene leaned forward in his chair again, his arms resting on the desk. "What will happen to you?"

"I stay here," Dinah answered, "and I do my job."

Rene nodded. "Good luck, Dinah."

The sergeant left the room. Ten minutes later, the police van arrived and brought him to one of the prison camps.

Their conversation would have been no problem. Nobody could have found out the police sergeant was sort of acting like a friend with the domestic terrorist and that he amicably wished her good luck. nobody needed to know Wild Dog knew her on a first-name basis. Unfortunately, there is one little thing neither of them realized: the conversation had been recorded by the newly installed cameras. There never had been any money for them until earlier that month. It may well be that Ms. Drake had forgotten the cameras had been installed, or maybe she assumed they weren't operational yet. She had been sloppy and she paid the price for it. She was fired for having this friendly conversation with the prisoner, but she wasn't arrested for it. however, she was kept under close surveillance to make sure she wouldn't have any other contact with vigilantes or other criminals.

As for Rene, they had brought him to a prison camp. However, on his way to the camp, he had made his great escape. They could never catch him again. He spent his time hiding from the law and hoping they wouldn't catch him.

* * *

Rene lived to see the Fall of the New Reich. He watched gleefully as the leaders died and a new regime rose from the ashes – a more democratic one with a government he could get behind. Yet, in his neighborhood, many people still loved the previous regime and were mourning the death of the New Reich's leaders, or who they would've been had they had the chance to rise up.

Rene tried to monitor the peace in his neighborhood between those who liked the previous regime and those who didn't. It often came to a clash between the two groups and not too many police officers were too happy with going down there to break apart the fights. Someone had to do it and even though he clearly had chosen one side, he still became their prime mediator.

He became a good man in his own right, without the hockey mask. He still carried his guns and people recognized him even without the mask. He even became a good police officer who was paid to keep the peace in his fragile neighborhood. That was such a demanding task he did not need to go to the office or do anything else besides monitoring the peace.

Unfortunately, only two weeks before this manuscript was sent to the press – months after I've written this – reports of Rene Ramirez' death reached me. Some hooligans didn't want to answer to him. Instead of trying to kill the one man whom they had cornered and who did not like the New Reich, they went after Rene. He almost succeeded in escaping, but they found his hiding spot. They killed him and that first man.

It had been my intention to write about a contemporary hero who hadn't perished yet. Mr. Ramirez himself talked to me to construct his story as truthfully as I possibly could. My condolences go to his family and I hope he did not die for nothing.


	14. Brother

Not many families stick together in the New Reich. People move out to different cities with better opportunities or send the children to a school across the country, making them distant and not having a good bond with their parents. Everyone encourages their children to make the best out of life and to grab every opportunity they can get. Once the children leave the house, the parents may feel the emptiness they leave behind – but when those children have spent most of their lives away from said parents, nobody bats an eye when parents and children are disconnected from one another.

The same can be said about sibling relationships. It was not unusual families put their time and money into the success of one sibling (usually the oldest) while only keeping the bare minimum for the other ones. The difference between the educations and opportunities could be small and non-existent to astronomically great.

Let me present a case study: the Ramon family. They had two sons, Dante and Cisco. This family barely belonged to the middle class and were relatively wealthy compared to others of the same ethnic class. Still, they did not have enough money to support an excellent education for both children. The parents would have to gauge which son would be more successful and "more deserving" of the great education – they did not like it, but they would have to make this decision sooner or later.

It became apparent that Dante had a natural affinity for playing the piano while their other son displayed signs of being an intelligent and clever child. The parents had wanted to split the money for the children's education evenly, but after seeing Dante develop musically, they paid for his piano lessons with Cisco's education fund. From a financial point of view, this was a successful investment. Dante became an even better piano player and this gave him entrance to a renowned high school. He later received a scholarship to go to a great university, where he studied music. As an adult, Dante had become a great musician who earned a lot of money. He gave some money back to his parents for believing in him. He kept the rest for himself and used it to build a good life. Dante was successful and happy.

However, from a personal point of view, it meant Cisco's education suffered. He was still a brilliant kid who learned at his own pace, way faster than most of his other classmates and ahead of the school's learning plan. Because of the clear favoritism between the two sons, Dante got a lot more attention than Cisco. There were often small fights between Cisco and Dante, usually about little things Cisco got frustrated with and a young Dante did not know how to cope with because he had been so pampered. At age sixteen, Cisco Ramon ran away. His parents and Dante looked everywhere, but they couldn't find him. They later decided that, if Cisco wasn't going to return, they were going to use all Cisco's career money to give to Dante's. As I already discussed, this had fruitful results.

They had not seen Cisco since he ran away.

* * *

One particular day, Dante felt like he was missing something. It was not a strange feeling – he had felt it before, namely on days when he missed his little brother. From a young age and even nowadays, he believed he was the reason Cisco had run away. Yet, he never had placed the blame on himself, but on his parents. They had given Dante everything while neglecting Cisco and sparing only the bare minimum for him. They had driven Cisco away, and none of it was Dante's fault.

Dante felt the urge to reconnect with his brother. But wishing to find Cisco and reconnect was just a dream. He had no idea where his brother was. Where he lived, what he was doing, if he even was still alive.

No. Cisco was alive. He had to be.

So Cisco had to be alive, and then what? Where would Dante find him? He couldn't just walk down the street, where it crawled with homeless people who did not shy away from – at the very least – intimidating him and stealing his possessions. Somehow, Dante had gotten it into his mind that Cisco could not be a homeless person. His younger brother had to be leading a somewhat decent life. Such a bright young man would definitely have found a great job somewhere, with a high school degree or not. And if he did not want to contact Dante anymore, Dante would not blame or push him.

One evening, this urge to find out where his brother was lead him out on the streets. He left his fiancée in their apartment, telling her he needed to get some fresh air. For an uncertain amount of time, he wandered through the streets. It seemed aimless, but his wanderings brought him to the industrial terrain just outside Central City. He was not afraid, nor did he know why he was going in that direction. Dante just knew it felt right; that was all he needed.

He arrived at a dark hangar where no lights shone and walked inside. The door was unlocked and its knob dusty. Dante had to use the flashlight on his phone to see something, anything inside. With some light, he watched around in the big room. Nothing indicated someone was living in the hangar, and that comforted him.

Dante continued, despite his mind's shouting at him to 'turn around and go home, there's nothing here for you'. His gut feeling had not left or failed him yet. There was something in here that would lead him to Cisco. Whatever 'it' was, was still uncertain.

"Hello?" Dante shouted. His voice echoed in the spacious hangar. "Is anybody there?"

Given the current political climate and the environment, it might not have been a good idea to shout. Maybe someone really was in there. Maybe people with bad intentions (such as those rebels) were in there. Either way, it was too late now, ad if someone was in the hangar, they would know someone was going to find them. What a bad move.

Beyond the light from his phone, some sort of blue light was turned on at the other side of the hangar. Dante lowered his phone to get a clearer look at it, but the light was turned off again before he could figure out what it was. He did not have the time to figure out what the light was from, because some kind of buzzing behind him drew his attention. He turned around while someone threw him to the ground.

Dante pulled up his knees to his stomach to protect his internal organs and covered his face with his arms, balling his hands into fists.

"Please don't kill me!" the musician shouted, closing his eyes. He waited for an impact of fists or bullets or whatever his attacker preferred, hoping he would not have to suffer.

But there came no impact. Instead, the attacker spoke. "Dante."

Dante slowly moved his arms away from his face and relaxed his legs. He tilted his head and looked up at the attacker. He wore a streamlined suit with a lot of black and some streaks of faded red and yellow; a repurposed New Reichsmen uniform. So, a rebel then. What made this man stand out from the generic rebel were the goggles and those gloves he wore. His wavy dark hair fell to his shoulders. There barely was anything for Dante to recognize.

"Who are you? Why do you…" Dante stopped there. Of course they'd know him, he was a famous pianist. Which also excused him from military service, but that's not relevant at this moment. Either way, they would have heard his name somewhere. Then again, only higher class people could afford to go to his concerts, so how did this name remember his name so quickly?

It was ultimately the voice that gave his attacker away. Dante had been too shocked to process that specific sound, but now he his brain worked again, the voice had sounded familiar. His name had been said by a person he knew; a person he hadn't seen in a long time; a person he'd been looking for this night.

"Cisco?" Dante finally sat up and stared at the man who could only be his younger brother.

"Long time no see," Cisco said and he folded his arms. He stared down at his older brother, no emotions discernable on his face.

Dante's mind did a double take after this confirmation and looked at Cisco again. If there was any moment during which he had imagined Cisco's future, this is not what would have crossed his mind: cooped up in an abandoned hangar, surrounded by what Dante could only assume was worthless old tech and wearing a stupidly incriminating suit that would give away his allegiance at a glance.

Normal people did not wear costumes like that. They also did not teleport from one side of the room to another with flashes of blue light and buzzing. That was another mind-blowing revelation.

"You're…" Dante began, "you're a…" He could barely process all the information, so it was only normal Dante had trouble stringing sentences together. It was all too much for him to handle – oh, the information! – that he could not grasp it all in a short span of time.

"Meta-human? Vigilante?" Cisco helpfully finished his sentence.

Dante nodded. He was still a little dazed. "Yeah, how did that happen?"

"The powers came first," Cisco said. That indifferent facial expression turned sour and a grimace appeared on his face. "On the day I left."

Dante was baffled. What a coincidence it happened on the day he decided to leave. "That's incredible!" he exclaimed, and he was painfully aware of the great acoustics of this space. Then he furrowed his brow. "Why didn't you tell mom and dad?" They would have definitely paid more attention to Cisco forward if they knew – he may have even been enrolled in the Star City Academy. It couldn't get more prestigious than that.

"They wouldn't have listened. Why would they? They only cared about you." He pointed an accusatory finger at Dante.

The older brother shook his head. "That's not true."

"Really?" Cisco raised his voice. He unfolded his arms and turned his back to Dante, muttering some things to himself.

Dante finally stood up – the ground was hard and cold and his butt was starting to hurt. His eyes had adjusted to the dark and without the light from his phone, he could see his surroundings more clearly, as well as the resistance's project.

Cisco – maybe with other people – was building something big in here. This hangar must be the perfect storage since it was not currently being used by the New Reich. Otherwise they would have placed guards at the front doors to keep anyone who was too curious outside.

"What is this place?" Dante then asked, genuinely curious.

"That's classified," Cisco answered immediately. Not the answer Dante was looking for, but it was enough to make Dante think about the situation. Classified, by whom?

Then the truth finally dawned on Dante – all these impressions really had slowed down his mind. The crazy costume, the secret location, the whatever-it-was they were building out of sight from the government. For one second, he was afraid of his younger brother and the power at his fingertips, but that soon went away. This was Cisco, his little brother. He wasn't going to hurt Dante.

Was he?

"Y-You're with them," Dante stammered. "The rebels."

Cisco sharply turned to face his brother. There was a disapproving look on Cisco's face and Dante distractedly took a step back, the underlying fear surging within him with Cisco stared at him through his goggles.

"We're not rebels," Cisco explained. "We're the Freedom Fighters."

"What a name." Really? Couldn't they have come up with something better than that? Dante did correct himself afterward – these people fought the government. He shouldn't be worried about the name they chose to go by, but their actions.

"I didn't come up with that!" Cisco said, throwing up his hands defensively.

"Clearly." If Cisco had the option to come up with the name, that alliteration abomination would not have been it.

Silence fell for a few moments, and then Dante spoke up again. "So, fighting for freedom. While we're already free."

"Are we?" There was nothing condescending about Cisco's tone, but Dante knew Cisco believed he had every right to speak like that. But Cisco shook his head and turned away from his brother. "You know what, I'm not going to argue with you. You're not worth my time."

"And fighting our government is?" Dante asked. He was hurt by Cisco's comment, but he also genuinely wanted to know what Cisco was truly thinking. Maybe this would send him off in a monologue in which he explained everything. And as Dante wondered what would make Cisco go down this path, he realized he wanted to spend more time with his brother and not fight him over clashing beliefs.

"It is," Cisco said. He tilted his head and briefly stared at the suddenly sentimental face his older brother was making. "What are you looking at?"

"I didn't think I'd see you again," Dante said. he took a step closer to Cisco, but not more than just that one. "Whatever happened, I always hoped that you were doing something good with your life."

"Did you?" Cisco asked and for the first time, a hint of an emotional reaction flashed over his face.

"Yes, I did," Dante said, "You just left, I was worried about you and I hoped you'd be fine. I know things weren't as good for you at home—"

"Weren't as good?" Cisco's voice was highly skeptical, and Dante nodded. Yes, Dante may have always been the favorite in the family, but the circumstances of Cisco's upbringing couldn't be as bad as he insinuated. Could it?

"…I did miss you a lot," Dante continued. "Of course I worried, I never stopped. You're still my brother."

Silence fell again. Dante waited for a while, for an answer that may or may not still come. But it didn't and Dante looked at the ground. So much for a brotherly connection, even though there never really had been one in the first place.

"And you are mine," Cisco eventually said, his gaze lingering on Dante for a little too long. Dante lifted his head, a relieved smile on his face. Cisco did not permit himself to smile as widely as his brother – in fact, he did not smile at all. The sentiment did remain the same and Dante appreciated the gesture. At least he was willing to admit they were still brothers.

But with everything that was going on and with all the revelations had come so quickly the past half an hour, Dante realized it might be better to go back home.

"Is there any chance you can let me leave?" Stumbling upon a secret was one thing, but being allowed to leave after discovering this thing, the super-secret hideout, was a completely different thing.

"I can let you go," Cisco said. He turned his head to Dante and for the first time, he could see into his brother's eyes – Cisco had removed his goggles. There was compassion in his eyes. "Nobody knows I'm here."

Nobody. Possibly not his fellow Freedom Fighters – still a terrible name – and definitely not the New Reich. If they did, they would come after Cisco.

"I promise I won't come back," Dante said. "I swear I'm not gonna tell anyone." He could not say he was not going to come back. He had found the hide-out easily. Cisco was probably going to try and empty the hangar altogether, or abandon it. The alternative (being found out) was the worse alternative.

"You know where the exit is." Cisco pointed his hand at the door Dante had walked through. Cisco wasn't going to walk him there; he was not going to move away from the comfort of the darkness or risk being spotted in this outfit.

"Thank you," Dante said and he made his way towards the door. About halfway there, he stopped in his tracks and turned to his little brother again. Dante let out a sigh.

Where did this go wrong?

"Cisco? If you need anything, I can give it to you."

"I don't need anything from you," Cisco answered. He did not speak out of animosity.

Dante nodded. "The offer still stands. You'll find me."

He glanced at Cisco one last time and then, Dante left his brother behind.

* * *

Dante returned home, a little wiser and a bit more confused than before. His fiancée was waiting for him to come back and wanted to know what was bothering him – she could read from his face something was going on in his mind.

"Hey!" She cheerfully greeted him, a wide smile on her face. she walked towards her fiancé and embraced him. His reaction was distracted to non-existent; only responding a faint "hi" back to her. Whatever had happened to him this evening, it was on his mind. They walked to the couch and sat down on it. Dante grabbed the remote and turned on the TV and though he was watching, it didn't seem he was paying attention.

"Are you okay?" his fiancée asked him, placing a comforting hand on his knee. Finally, as if he woke up from a long dream, he looked at his wife. He had heard the question but hadn't processed it yet.

"What?" he said. She shot him a concerned look and he – finally – reacted in a more normal and less affected way. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Truly?" She asked. Dante mirrored her actions and placed a hand on her knee. He looked her in the eyes and found the comfort he always found in them. The calmness and serenity he had been craving since seeing Cisco finally descended upon him. No matter what had happened today, no matter what was going to happen in the future, whether he was going to see his brother again or not – he had this. He made this moment joyful and enjoyed her unwavering loyalty and support.

"Truly. I just…" he paused for a moment. "I had a run-in with an old friend of mine." After such a long time, Dante could not call him his brother in front of his fiancée.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" She then asked him. Dante nodded, satisfied.

"I did," he said and pulled her closer to him. She was lying on him and he held her close with his arm, both of them watching the TV program.

This was good. this was how things were supposed to be. And if Cisco truly wanted the life he had chosen and wanted to be a vigilante, Dante was not going to report him. They were both adults who knew what they were doing. Though Dante did not approve of Cisco's actions, he did not wish to interfere.

* * *

You may have noticed Dante is not a vigilante. His brother is, but this story is not about Vibe, but specifically about Dante. This was a conscious choice. I wanted to take a break from discussing vigilantes and all the ways people could become and act like one and shed a light on the people like Dante – the enablers.

Enablers like Dante Ramon are the reason some of these vigilantes could continue their work a little longer. They see what is going on and have the chance to report it to the government and get one more vigilante off the street. These people, however, do not tell anyone what they see. They watch and remain silent. We may never know what goes through their minds when they see vigilantes. It is always possible they see suspicious activity and just don't know what to do, ultimately not telling anyone what they've seen, they may be intentionally keeping this information to themselves to give the vigilantes a chance.

Whatever their reasons may be, silent enablers are integral to the vigilantes running around in the New Reich. Because if everyone told the New Reich where they spotted this vigilante, these law-breakers would have been caught earlier and this society as a whole would have made less progression towards a free society in the long run. As such, these enablers are just as important as the vigilantes themselves.


	15. Judaism

**I** **would like to thank guestreader and LadyAwesome45321 for their support of this story and the reviews they've written. You two are amazing!**

* * *

The world we used to live in wasn't particularly cruel if you complied to the social rules and the laws. Unfortunately, those laws and rules were especially selfish and it seemed only those with white skin, blond hair and a decent amount of money could make it in this world.

It wasn't kind to those who did not fit in, however that may have manifested itself. You could only love the right person and if you divorced, there was a high chance you were shunned until you found a new partner. Many women – because mostly women suffered from this unspoken social rule – immediately searched a man who wanted to marry them and stuck with those men. There were not many divorced parents in this world, but there was one woman who personified these struggles quite well.

Her name was Donna Smoak. She divorced her husband and had not been lucky finding a second one. When her daughter Felicity became five, she decided to give up hunting for a man and focused on raising her daughter. This, in turn, raised a lot of eyebrows from her direct environment.

Donna and Felicity went through rough times. Donna had to juggle three different jobs so Felicity could attend school. She was hardly there for her daughter, but she was glad Felicity did not blame her for not being there for her. She understood her mother was doing everything to keep them off the streets. In some cases, she even paused her homework to clean the house and prepare the food, so Donna could take a rare break. Then there was one more thing that could ruin the life they had built: Donna and Felicity are Jewish.

The best religious conviction in the New Reich was atheism and the personality cult surrounding the Führer. Religion wasn't tolerated and the laws forbade religion to be practiced, especially Judaism. These laws were leftovers from the influence Nazi Germany had on society – it was prejudiced against Jews, so much so that they were sent to the camps. But they stuck to their faith – only a small percentage of Jews, such as the Stein family, denounced their religious ways to survive. So, Donna and Felicity had to be extra careful with their way of living. Especially on religious holidays, they had to look over their shoulder as not to come across as suspicious. For the first fifteen years of Felicity's life, they managed to slip under the New Reich's radar. They kept their heads down and never did anything that would draw attention to them.

But the New Reich liked to control people at random in places where they would be off-guard. One day, Donna misspoke while muttering to herself. It just so happened she passed a New Reich secret agent and he heard her. the only good thing about this was that Donna had time to go home – they would find her eventually, there's no use running around to try to throw them off guard – and to make sure Felicity is safe.

* * *

Donna Smoak rushed home, knowing her time was limited once she was inside. Someone had been following her, she was sure of it. There would be no way she was able to shake them off on her way home. They would keep track of her through security cameras in the streets.

She put her keys in the lock and turned it. Time was of the essence. Felicity had stayed at home that day – she hadn't been feeling too well and Donna had gone into town on her own. Unless they had investigated her home, they would not know Felicity was home. She could still live through today.

When Felicity saw her mother's pale face, she knew something was off.

"What happened?" But Donna did not answer. Instead, she pointed at the closet.

"Get inside the closet." Felicity did exactly as her mother said. She had a small frame, so she fit into a small compartment at the bottom of the closet. It was cramped in space, but Felicity wriggled herself into the compartment. When she found a somewhat comfortable position, someone roughly knocked on the door. A strict voice sounded through the door. "Open up."

Felicity glanced at her mother. "What's going on?" she whispered hastily.

"Stay in the closet," Donna said. "No matter what happens, no matter what you see, you stay here and stay quiet."

"Mom?" Felicity did not take her eyes off of her mother. She did not know whether it was the last time she would ever see that face.

"Stay here." Donna remained strangely calm. "I love you." Donna planted one last kiss on her daughter's forehead and then, she closed the closet doors and locked it. There was a small cord in Felicity's compartment and, if she were to pull it, the lock would open. There was also a small groove at the bottom of the compartment, through which Donna pushed the key so that whoever would storm into the apartment would not be able to easily open it or find her daughter.

Donna had just enough time to sit down on the couch when the door broke down and ten soldiers stormed into the room. donna remained calm while the men in masks surrounded her.

"On the ground! On the ground!" The soldiers shouted through one another. Donna slowly and calmly bent over and crawled on the ground. She sat on her knees and held her hands on the ground next to her.

"Where's the girl?" The commander of the group yelled. He and another soldier stayed with her while the other eight searched the small apartment. One of them tried to open the closet but gave up easily.

"She's not here," Donna said.

The commander cocked his gun and raised his voice. "Where's the girl?"

"With a friend," Donna answered. The commander did not shoot, but he did slap her hard on the cheek. Donna only briefly yelled in pain, but then shut her mouth as not to make it worse for her daughter, silent tears streaming down her face.

"Don't lie to me!" the commander yelled.

"Hans!" the other soldier near Donna said. the commander lifted his head and stared at his subordinate. "There's no girl here."

Commander Hans looked at Donna again and he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. "We'll find her. And that will be the worst day of your life."

Donna used the opportunity to spit in his face. In retaliation, he slapped her again, the sound of the impact echoing through the room.

"Take the bitch away," Commander Hans said and the soldiers obeyed. Without saying a word, Donna let herself be dragged out of her house, trying her hardest not to look or even glance at the closet. Instead, she glared with intense hatred at commander Hans, who returned the same glares. Eventually, everyone had left the apartment and Donna was arrested.

Felicity stayed in the closet. She watched the scene with tears in her eyes and a hand on her mouth. One hour, two hours passed and Felicity still did not dare to leave the safe comfort of the closet. Only after the third hour did she dare to unlock the closet door and to step outside. She only snuck around the house, grabbed some good and then returned to the closet.

Around the fifth hour, the commander returned. Felicity stayed in the closet and once again, she evaded being captured by staying in the closet.

Only on the third day did she decide to leave the house, sneaking away and believing nobody had seen her.

* * *

Felicity stayed out of the hands of the New Reich for another nine years, but she too was sent to a concentration camp. Once there, she reunited with her mother, who hadn't cracked under the pressure yet. They were separated soon afterward, but both mother and daughter stayed faithful and did not break under the regime. Donna Smoak survived the turmoil of the concentration camp and went back to living a normal life after the Fall of the New Reich, but I have no idea what happened to her daughter. I do hope she is safe, wherever she may be.


	16. Into the flames

**Wow. Thank you, Silver-Infinite and Brittana4ever. I never expected the number of reviews to double that quickly.**

* * *

The next story concerns a miracle unlike any we have ever seen in the history of the New Reich: our former government declared a member of the Freedom Fighters a hero. They did not know of his true allegiance; they never had a chance to ask and those who were aware of this wished to share this piece of information. What he did was heroic enough to become a national hero, celebrated by all, and the Reich inadvertently gave the Freedom Fighter a member to show off to possible recruits: 'oh, by the way, Mick Rory was a Freedom Fighter'.

This is the story of how Mick Rory became a national hero.

* * *

It was a remarkably quiet night at the police station. For the first time in forever, there was nobody in the Central City cells – they were emptied so a cleaning service could clean it. There was only little staff present: two cleaners and a couple of cops spread across the building, doing all sorts of tedious tasks. These police officers were close to finishing their shift and waited for their colleagues to come and release them. None of them seemed to be very energetic anymore after a long, boring shift.

The accident that ignited the situation happened at ten in the evening. The traffic downtown was horrible and there was total gridlock; there were some works on the road that slowed it down. The police officers from the night shift were caught off guard by the traffic jam and were stuck – they were not going to arrive at work soon enough.

There was a gas leak inside the building. Nobody noticed it and if they did, they shrugged it off as normal. The building itself was in a rundown state and there were many funny smells around. the officers themselves did not mind it as much – as long as they could work and pay the bills. But it had become too much, which was why they called the cleaning service. They would have paid them out of their own pocket because the budget for this police district was extremely low.

That same night, A New Reich official came to inspect the premises. This came unannounced; this way, they could catch some people off-guard and see whether the cops were doing their jobs. When he entered the building, the young clerk behind the desk allowed him to go wherever he wanted to go and accompanied him, texting to his friends the inspection had come. None of the officers expected the night to become worse than it already was.

Then the building exploded.

Mick Rory and Leonard Snart were passing by, on their way to a small city meeting, when it happened. They stood across the street, about twenty yards to its left. They stared at the now burning building and came to the same horrible realization: there had to be people inside.

Knowing his friend, Leo immediately grabbed Mick's arm. He had already taken a step towards the building, his eyes fixated on it – but Leonard's hand temporarily held him back.

"Don't," Leo said.

"There are still people inside," Mick responded. Yet, he was not going to blindly run into the police station without his friend's consent. He still would want to convince his friend to let him go and to save the people that needed his help, even if those cops would have hunted them down on any other day.

"You could die," Leo said. That was a big possibility. They did not have their protective gear with them – it would be suspicious to walk around in it in plain sight – nor did they have their respective cold and heat guns with them. If they had, Leo would not have hesitated to douse the fire while Mick would go inside to help.

But that was not an option. Nobody but the firefighters could stop the fire, and Leo and Mick could only watch. Leo wanted to see what happened, but Mick could not stand not helping when he so easily could.

"I have to help," he insisted, looking at Leo. They engaged in a staring competition – one of them would have to cave for the wishes of the other. It did not take long for Leo to give in. He broke eye contact and sighed.

"Good luck, friend." Mick solemnly nodded once and ran into the building. Some policemen were already standing in front of the building – the three had just arrived and tried to create a perimeter around the police station so that nobody would be coming too close to the site. Mick managed to slip their attention, to slip past them and to run inside the burning building.

Leo stayed outside of the perimeter with the three police officer, who had already called the firefighters and who were trying to figure out how many people could be inside. One of them attempted to enter himself, but he returned soon after, not willing to go deep inside the burning building. He cited the heat and the smoke as some of the reasons.

Minutes passed. Leo kept looking at the door, hoping to see his best friend survive. When he thought this, Mick ran out of the building with the first victim. The three officers were surprised to see Mick, but they helped out their colleague in uniform who was in shock while Mick ran back into the building.

This process repeated itself four more times. a cleaning lady, two cops and the New Reich official were saved from the police station. The firefighters had also arrived in the meantime, but it had not stopped him. the official was the last person Mick had dragged out of the building. Due to exposure, he was coughing relentlessly and almost dropped the unconscious official on the ground. One of the three unharmed officers tried to stop him from re-entering the building, but Mick pushed him out of the way and returned to save the two remaining cops.

Leo was watching still and knew this was his time to act. He stepped forward, but another one of the three cops stopped him from entering the perimeter. Knowing he had no authority in the situation, Leo complied and stood back, watching the entrance to the station like a hawk. Minutes passed, but nothing happened.

It did not take long before Leo realized that Mick wasn't coming back from this.

* * *

The news spread like wildfire. There had been an explosion at the local police bureau. Two police officers had died in the initial explosions, but the others and a New Reich official made it out of the fire alive (the cleaning lady was apparently too unimportant to mention). This would have never been possible without the help of a courageous citizen who perished in the flames, looking for the two officers who were already dead in the back of the station.

Leo had left the premises yet when the press interviewed him. He asked to be listed as an anonymous source, and the reporters agreed. They asked him the standard questions until Leo dropped Mick's name. the journalists became more intrigued and asked deeper questions. Leo happily obliged.

Leo did not mention anything that could incriminate Mick. His identity as a Freedom Fighter was something only the Freedom Fighters themselves would know. other than that, Leo shared Mick's full name with the press and stressed that he was a normal person who was always quick to help those in need.

People mourned the deceased officers and the hero. when the firefighters finally doused the fire, they could retrieve the bodies. The three received a hero's funeral and were buried in a military graveyard. Mick had no family to attend the funeral, but Leo was invited and attended. It was a shock to see the Führer greet the coffins.

Führer Oliver Queen had greeted the body of a Freedom Fighter – an anecdote the Freedom Fighters would tell the story to new recruits to draw them in. Mick Rory, the public hero, became a Freedom Fighter asset. Everyone knew who he was and if the recruits learned he was a Freedom fighter, there was a higher chance they would join.

Leo still misses his best friend. However, he is comforted by the knowledge that Mick's spirit was still by his side and watched everything Leo did with an approving nod. I do not believe in spirits or ghosts, but if Leonard Snart is comforted by this thought, I am not going to disrespect it.


	17. Journalism

Iris West was a bright young woman who knew what she wanted and pursued it until she got it. She was strong, courageous and did not back down when others would have. That is why Barry Allen would describe her as bordering reckless, among many other negative traits. But he spoke only to discredit her, and he did not know her properly.

I must admit that I do not know her properly as well; I never had the chance to meet her in person. I would like to thank an anonymous source for providing all the information I needed. He was more than willing to provide more details and anecdotes than I needed or could possibly mention in this chapter. It pains me not to be able to include every detail, but I must be as concise as I can. No amount of anecdotes will counter the fake news spread about her. this will be her legacy; the press and the New Reichsmen, especially Barry Allen, already attempted to discredit her and have succeeded. The people have a not-very-well-informed opinion on her; my source and I seek to set this right, though we know it will take long before the general perception on her is changed. She was much more than what the media said about her and a much better person than I will ever be.

This is Iris West's story, as it truly was.

* * *

Iris West was born into a lower middle-class family. Her father and her mother had good jobs, all things considered, and so she managed to go to a good school which, due to financing problems, had to take some children that did not have a white skin color. The classrooms were still segregated as much as possible, but at least Iris received her primary school education from a white teacher who did not seem as racist as the others were, but who still was kinda racist.

Iris knew Barry Allen. she did not go to him every single day to talk to him or wanted desperately to become his friend, as Mr. Allen described it. She did know him, from school and from somewhere else – her father worked the night Barry's father killed his mother. If it hadn't been for segregation and discrimination, Barry may have become her brother. She only sometimes wondered what if would have been like, having Barry as her brother.

She did have a biological younger brother named Wally. He attended a different primary school, but they went to the same high school. They were best friends and loved each other to death. And they also loved their parents, even if they weren't around so much to make ends meet. The year prior to their freshman year, their mother left for National City to get a better education – it held the only education center that was willing to teach black adults. She left, promising to return soon, but she never came back. Officially, she was still missing, but it was more likely she was murdered in a hate crime. All Iris had was her brother – her father drowned himself in work under the guise of earning extra money to provide for his children.

At age sixteen, Iris had to get a job. Wally soon had to leave school as well. The money their father made was not enough to make ends meet the way he wanted to. He never had to ask his children to get a job – they decided to look for one out of free will. Unlike Iris, Wally made a lot of money. He never shared any specifics of the kind of job he was doing, but illegal street racing earned him a lot more than a regular job would.

Iris chased stories for a living. A local newspaper took a chance on her and they would never regret their decision. She was a truly brilliant reporter, unafraid to go places and ask the bolder questions. It has gotten her into trouble more than once, but it did not mean she slowed down. she attributed that strong will and stubbornness to her heritage. Just because someone's skin was a couple of shades darker, didn't mean they were a lesser person. 'Blacks' were just as capable of doing the things the whites have been doing for a long time. If it were up to her, it was about time minorities got a chance to shine instead of being pushed into obscurity.

Irish quickly moved up the ladder within the company's hierarchy and then moved on to a more renowned newspaper run by racial minorities. It was well-read in Central City, both by the less-racist white and non-white community. This skyrocketed Iris' reputation as a great reporter. On top of that, she ran a blog that was visited by 10,000 people per week. She was popular because she was not afraid to let the people know her strong political and socio-economical views. She expressed these mainly on her blog because her strong views may cause readers to boycott the newspaper and she did not want to have that on her conscience. She'd rather not damage the paper's reputation in any way.

In short, Iris had it made, for as far as that was possible for someone like her. Wally and her father were so proud of her, and Iris knew her mother would be proud as well. She had a steady income, could continue to live in her parental house and things were going well. But with the way she had been acting and working, it was only inevitable there was going to be a day when everything collapsed and when she would take it a step too far, writing a blog post that expressed too strong an opinion mixed with the facts. And she did.

One day, the Führer died. This was not completely unexpected since he had been old and sick for at least a couple of months. The strange thing was that they found him at home, two red arrows in his chest. Not even two days later, Malcolm Merlyn was found dead in a similar fashion, two red arrows in his chest area as well. Oliver Queen pushed forward the theory that Roy Harper, his half-sister's bodyguard/companion, had killed both.

Thea Merlyn-Queen did not believe Roy was the culprit. Neither did Iris. Nobody else thought Roy was innocent; everyone sided with the Führer-to-be. Why couldn't Roy have done it? He had grown up poor and only by chance ended up n the entourage of an influential family – a family he wanted to see dead, old friends told the press. They concluded the murderer could be nobody but Roy.

Iris doubted the story. Just because the accusation came from Oliver Queen, it did not mean it was the truth. She decided she was going to find out what exactly happened, one way or the other.

She spoke to some guards on duty those nights. They initially told her they had seen nothing. When she explained why she asked them, they scoffed and laughed and sometimes even told her the truth "because nobody's going to believe a black bitch". They did not know 'that black bitch' had a large following and what she had to say may change the way people looked at Oliver Queen.

It was Oliver who had visited the Führer. He had made a suggestion Oliver did not agree with. He'd gone soft, Mr. Queen believed, because a strong Führer would not stop attempts to crush the rebels' spirits in South America and Australia. With two red arrows, taken from Roy for this exact purpose, he killed the Führer and threatened to kill the suspicious guards if they told anyone.

The next day, Mr. Queen met with his sister's father. Malcolm Merlyn was perfect for the Führer job and Oliver was afraid the people would turn to him to lead. Mr. Merlyn may not have defended himself – and if he had, he only put minimal effort into it.

Iris presented her account of the facts, citing many of the guards anonymously and the facts as she believed they happened. She published the story on her blog, in the hopes of discrediting him and decreasing his chances of becoming the Führer.

Needless to say, Mr. Queen was not happy some black reporter discovered what happened. Action was taken immediately and effectively.

* * *

Blitzkrieg kidnapped her from her house one night and brought her to Mr. Queen's mansion. The press was present, on invitation of Mr. Queen himself. The Führer staged some sort of 'court case' in which Iris was the suspect. She was forced to 'take the stand' so Mr. Queen could discredit Iris' reputation and to make the second part of the press conference more acceptable.

Oliver Queen had already been declared the Führer before Iris published the article. As the legal ruler, he could do whatever he wanted without feeling any repercussions for his actions. After Iris West was completely ridiculed and discredited, Führer Queen killed her. He shut up a critical voice and so, through the power of media and propaganda, silenced other people who would have been thinking of destroying the Führer's reputation.

* * *

I have spoken to some journalists who aren't white. They all confirmed they knew of Iris West and told me they were saddened by her death. Alongside the publication of this book, they have promised to release some of their unpublished articles. They all have had the same theory Iris had, but they were too afraid to tell the people the truth about the deaths of the previous Führer and Malcolm Merlyn. Since Führer Queen has died, there is significantly less chance of consequences for these good men and women. Only time can tell whether they did publish their articles or whether I had to break this news.

Either way, Iris West is a good person. She may not have been a meta-human or a vigilante, but she was courageous and a decided journalist who wanted to show us the real face of politics in this country. Let her death not be the warning Mr. Queen wanted it to be, but an inspiration to not only reporters and journalists, but to anyone who wants to make a stand against the regime, against discrimination and against the systematic lies and propaganda of the previous government.


	18. Blitzkrieg

Last chapter, we discussed Iris West's true life story. My Earth-X audience may not make the connection, but since we have discussed her, we must also mention Barry Allen. On other Earths, so I've heard, Iris West and Barry Allen always seem to be in a relationship of sorts. This earth must be the only earth where they did not get to know one another at all.

Because of the information presented to me, I believe that if Barry had been in contact with Iris, he may not have become the New-Reichsman Blitzkrieg we know today. He may even have become an ally of the Freedom Fighters, but I do not want to make too wild claims or use them to excuse his behavior. He is still a bad person who did horrible things.

However, I do admit Barry Allen could have been a better person– 'better' is defined in this context as: not as evil as he is today. The main reason behind his behavior and opinions all stem from his childhood.

* * *

Barry Allen started his life in a poor neighborhood and, due to insufficient funding, he was forced to go to a school where whites and minorities shared a playground. They did not share the classrooms – those were still highly segregated. Only one white line on the playground separated the white children, who received the most space, from the other ones. Iris West also attended this elementary school. She was just as bright and intelligent as Barry was, but the teachers only ever acknowledged Barry's intelligence, because how could a black girl be smart?

Barry's life changed completely when a yellow streak invaded his home one night. His mother was crying in the kitchen while his father tried to reach her, but the yellow streak whirled around her like a tornado, making it impossible to reach her. Barry only witnessed a couple of seconds of this before the yellow streak came right at him and knocked him out.

When Barry woke up, the police had just arrived. Some police officer was with him while another office cuffed his father. His mother lay dead on the ground, a kitchen knife next to his mother.

Young Barry had shaken his head. The yellow streak must have killed his mother. But there was no evidence, no security footage pointing towards a yellow streak. The murder weapon was covered with his father's fingerprints. Only a black cop, Iris West's father, managed to calm Barry down and took him out of the house and away from the crime scene. He would have adopted Barry himself, but nobody wanted to see a white child growing up in a black family. That just was not acceptable.

Since he had no other family, Barry ended up in the Central City orphanage and later, the Star City orphanage. It seemed his fate was sealed; nobody ever adopted a child unless they were financially stable enough to adopt. Most of the children in orphanages and foster care ended up on the streets when they aged out of the system. That was the path many were forced to take, and Barry prepared for it. He still performed well in school, just in case someone in the future would see his degree and offer him a job. At least that may give him a proper future.

Barry Allen, at age eleven, spent five months in the orphanage when Dr. David Palmer came along and adopted the kid.

Barry was welcomed with open arms into his new family. Dr. David Palmer often referred to him as the 'last Palmer brother' when talking to the media. He had a son of his own, Raymond, and the only Palmer brother who effectively had that last name. The other boys David had adopted had kept their respective surnames, so they would never forget where they came from. None of them did mind; it would mean they could pursue a career later in life without people constantly giving them chances based on their last name instead of their actual merits. Besides Barry Allen, David had adopted two other boys: Nathaniel Heywood was only a baby when he was adopted, while Rory Regan had joined the family only months prior. The boys were about the same age, and the family was complete.

Barry loved his new brothers and they loved him. he attended the same school they did, namely the Star City Academy. Barry spent most of his time with Ray, who also did not have any powers and had almost all the same classes as Barry. The two were both enrolled in the non-militaristic study program, meaning neither of them was taught to fight, but they did learn battle strategies, should they still want to join the army.

One day, that changed. Nothing out of the ordinary ever happened on a day such as that one. That day was a nice summer day. After school, Rory and Barry wanted to decide once and for all who was faster. As they 'raced' down the street, Barry sped up to at least fifty miles per hour, possibly higher. Just like that, he was on the other side of the city.

Dr. Palmer discovered Barry's identity as a meta-human. This discovery chronologically was made before the particle accelerator was even built, and Barry was far out of the impacted area. Barry Allen, on Earth-X, is a naturally born meta-human whose powers only manifested around his thirteenth birthday.

Barry immediately transferred classes. He joined his contemporaries' meta-human classes. Some believed he would be left behind because he wasn't enrolled in those classes from the beginning. However, over the course of four years, Barry learned how to run properly and taught himself many tricks. During his training, he decided to pick up German and take a college level course on forensic sciences – he spoke fluent German after only a couple of months and completed the forensic sciences course before graduation. None of this would have been possible without his speed.

He graduated along with Oliver Queen, Kara Danvers, the Lance sisters, and many others. During the ceremony, the Academy revealed his new codename: Blitzkrieg. Barry was proud of that name.

Even after graduation, Barry continued to learn new things and in between his duties as a New Reichsman, he traveled around. He visited Germany every once in a while, having fallen in love with the country. He eventually acted as the official spokesperson for the New Reich to Germany and he established a good friendship with the German Führer. On duty, he helped the New Reichsmen fight the Freedom Fighters and maintained his friendship with Mr. Queen and Ms. Danvers, as well as visiting Rory and Ray every few weeks.

In other words, Barry enjoyed the life given to him because one rich guy took a chance on him and decided to adopt him.

* * *

All was going well with Barry and the New Reich until a new speedster came to Earth-X. The man called himself Eobard Thawne and, for reasons unexplained, he looked identical to the late Harrison Wells. When he came speeding into the room, he wore a suit similar to Barry's, except it was mostly yellow with a reverse yellow lightning bolt on the chest piece. And while he ran, a yellow streak trailed behind him.

The exact same yellow streak Barry saw the night his mother died.

Eobard offered them another world to rule. He told them all about Earth-1 (it offended the Führer their Earth wasn't Earth-1) and how he knew on which day Supergirl, who had a healthy heart, would be present on that Earth. It turned out that earth did not have a Kara Danvers of their own, so they relied upon Earth-38 Kara Danvers. How Thawne knew what Overgirl and the Dark Arrow needed remains unknown. All that mattered, was that he provided solutions to questions they had been asking themselves lately. Overgirl and the Dark Arrow welcomed the Reverse Flash among their ranks.

Blitzkrieg, on the other hand, disagreed and ran away to Germany. He only returned to the New Reich when the Führer called him in to talk about his childish behavior. Barry knew he could not refuse the Führer's orders, and so he returned.

His office was dark and the Führer sat behind his desk. Blitzkrieg glanced around but did not see Overgirl anywhere. This put Barry at ease, knowing the literal powerhouse of the New Reich was not there to 'knock common sense' into him.

While it can be said Barry was one of the most powerful metas to run around on Earth-X and that he had nobody to fear, he was only ever afraid of Overgirl.

"What was that all about?" The Führer asked. Barry had run away without even saying a word since the other speedster had arrived.

"That man killed my mother." Barry was convinced this Eobard Thawne had murdered her. Because of him, his father did not survive the prison camps. He may have found happiness with the Palmer family, but he always blamed the yellow streak for stealing his parents. He had the distinct opinion that Thawne was targeting him specifically for some reason.

"As far as the records go, that was your father," Oliver said. Again Barry disagreed with the Führer, but he knew shouting profanities in his face was not the best way to discuss the problem.

"There was a yellow streak in the house," Barry said. "Nobody believed me when I said it killed my mother. I could see it in his eyes, he did not kill her. Someone else did." Thawne did.

"And you believe Eobard was that someone else?" Oliver said. Barry nodded furiously.

"I don't believe it. I know it was him. Have you seen him run? It has to be him."

Oliver did not immediately respond, giving Barry some space to calm down and carefully choose his next words. Barry may be a speedster, but Oliver may still knock him out if he wanted to. Barry would pull his punches, Oliver would not.

"I don't want to turn my back to you," Barry said. "And I want to help – I really want to continue working with you. But I am not working with him. As long as you keep him around, you can find me in Bavaria."

"And when he's gone?" Mr. Queen asked.

"I will promptly return."

The Dark Arrow stood up from the chair and approached Barry. He extended his hand to the speedster when he stood in front of him. Barry shook it.

"I hope to see you soon, Barry."

"Likewise, Mr. Queen," Barry responded and he let go of the hand. "Good luck conquering the other earth."

And so, Blitzkrieg sped out of the building and raced to his vacation home in Bavaria. Dark Arrow sent him an update every week or so, to keep Barry up to date with the recent developments. Each time, Barry hoped to receive the news the Reverse Flash was gone. Until that message came, he stayed in Bavaria. He did not necessarily miss the New Reich all that much – he enjoyed living in the original fatherland. To pass his time, he silenced rebellious Germans and did some odd jobs for the German Führer.

The last update told the speedster the troops were leaving for Earth-1 in thirty minutes. Barry was still welcome to join them if he so wished. Barry did not send a response or ran home. The Führer, his General, and the Reserve left to conquer the other world. He did wish them the best of luck.

But those three never returned home. The Freedom Fighters grew bolder and bolder. Two different people fought to receive the title of "Führer", both believing they would be the leader their world needed. One of the candidates, Ray Palmer, even asked Barry to return so he could make a good impression.

Barry refused. While he stayed in Bavaria, he made the decision to leave the New Reich behind him. He would only return every now and then, to fight his arch-nemesis the Flash and to try and find out who was hiding behind that mask. As of the writing of this book, he has not yet found out; the Flash was secretive and never let anything slip. Other than that, the New Reich was none of his business anymore. Barry Allen had been naturalized into a German citizen who did what he could do best – he ran.

* * *

There is a good reason why the people on this continent still feared Blitzkrieg. He was a Palmer brother; he became best friends with the Führer and his wife; he was one of the most overpowered metas still running around. No matter what was going on, no matter the comfort and safety you feel, Blitzkrieg could still swoop in and kill you in an instant. He is a dangerous adversary who willingly gave up opposing the Freedom Fighters and who gave up on the New Reich altogether. Just like that, he could reverse his decision and murder every rebel standing in his way.

Let's be glad Barry Allen is not remotely interested in political intrigues. We would be in the same place if he had decided he would be the best Führer. If that were to happen, nothing would have been able to stop him.

My publisher and I have made the calculated decision to publish this book in the hopes that Barry Allen will not read it. If he did, you will know.


	19. General

I definitely can say there is one man in our generation that made this brave new world possible. Without his continuous efforts, there may have been a rebellion and everything would have still happened, but the Freedom Fighters may not have succeeded. General Winn Schott was a key player in their victory. It is true that the heroes from Earth-1 decisively killed the Führer and his wife, but the actions of the Freedom Fighters made the difference on this Earth and changed things for the better.

Still, this man's life story is more complicated than you may believe. You may even remember that last name from somewhere. We will dig deeper into his past and expose his not-so-humble history – of course with the utmost respect for the person he has become.

I have been given explicit permission to share his turbulent past with you. Should he, at any point wish to retract his permission after this book is published, you will be one of the lucky owners of an edition that still holds his story.

* * *

The General's full name is Winslow Schott, Jr. He was born as the son of Winslow Schott, Sr., a New Reich corporal and technical advisor to the Führer. His father was a loyal soldier and an even more brilliant engineer. On top of that, he was a great father to his only son. The young Winn was often allowed to come to work with him because of his father's status. He watched for hours as his father worked tirelessly. Winn worshipped his father and always claimed he wanted to be exactly like him.

Winn worked hard to make true to those claims. He begged to be sent to the same schools and to follow the same classes; a training a regime with a bit of science on the side, just in case being a soldier was somehow not an option anymore down the line. Winn may not have been the best little soldier of the class, but he excelled in science; he even was allowed to follow the most advanced classes that were available.

His life only changed when he turned twelve. His mother went missing in Alaska. The New Reich never advised to go there alone – rebels had made a base in Alaska – but she wanted to see the situation and whether her husband's machines made the difference. She never returned.

The New Reich organized a search party. The Führer used this opportunity to kill many Alaskan rebels under the guise of 'prisoners who took their own lives after refusing to cooperate'. Obviously, this is not what truly happened – the Alaskan rebels were all brutally murdered when they tried to escape from the massacre the Führer had ordered.

Winn was heart-broken. Fortunately, he still had his father. Mr. Schott decided to work part-time to spend more time with his son. He also hired a maid to work at home, so Winn would not be alone when his father had to work long hours. During the transition from working fulltime to working part-time, Mr. Schott's responsibilities were largely taken over by his colleague, Dr. David Palmer.

The last year Winn spent with his father was the best. He helped his son with his school work and Winn helped his father as his assistant in the lab. Mr. Schott often acted a bit strange, and Winn would describe it as his father keeping a big and terrible secret from him. This is why Winn believed his father spent so much time with him – if he really knew something terrible, every day could be their last.

One day, it indeed was the last. Fourteen-year-old Winn was at home with the maid and waited for his father to come home. When he did not return before Winn's bedtime, he knew something was wrong. They found Mr. Schott Sr. dead in his lab. Heart attack, an autopsy would later confirm. Winn never believed the coroners, but he never voiced his disagreement. He knew well enough not to openly go against anyone associated with the New Reich, even the coroners.

Winslow Schott Sr. was buried next to his wife's grave in Star City. Winn was present at the funeral with the maid. He was the last person who stood at his grave when everyone else had already left.

Winn had received a letter from his late father. Standing at his grave, Winn remembered the occasion. His father had given him a piece of paper, double folded, and instructed his son not to open it until he had passed away. Winn believed he would not have to read it, but it turned out he had to read the message sooner than expected.

The true content of the message is unknown. If it still existed, I would have reconstructed it here. It instructed little Winn to burn the letter and he obeyed. Winn did remember what the letter had told him.

Mr. Schott Sr. really helped the New Reich along with Dr. David Palmer. Many of his inventions had been adapted by Dr. Palmer and later used by the New Reich to track criminals and punish the people in the camps. Their original purposes lay far from what they were eventually used for, which Mr. Schott Sr. didn't like. Winn was not to show any resentment since that would most likely kill him. Mr. Schott Sr. wished his son the best of luck and hoped he would not make the same mistakes.

Fortunately, despite his schooling, Winn had become an independent thinker whose opinions – until the death of his father – aligned somewhat with what the New Reich wanted him to believe. Through the letter, he learned what the New Reich was capable of and knew he was not going to help them.

For one year, Winn went through the motions of his life. He went to school and received excellent grades. He continued his father's legacy and worked on many solo projects, but refused to give his designs to the New Reich. He had convinced the maid, now his legal guardian, that he was allowed to keep them until his eighteenth birthday. In the meantime, he was also under near-constant surveillance. The brilliant Winslow Schott Sr. was dead, but his son was just as brilliant and young, so still malleable. They tried to make him sign his life and projects away to the New Reich. He promised to do so when he was a legal adult.

Winn ran away from home at age fifteen.

* * *

For a long time, Winn managed to stay under the radar. The New Reich figured he would be so distraught by the reality of trying to live on the street, they would easily find the kid.

But they did not easily find him. their assumption had been true – Winn could not survive on the street – but they didn't think a third party would be interested in this kid. Walking around on the street, trying to find some food, Winn was suddenly whisked away by men in masks who pulled a dark bag over his head.

When they removed the bag, Winn did not recognize his surroundings. It turned out the Freedom Fighters had taken him off the streets. He first assumed they had kidnapped him because of his name and his father's status. He feared they were going to do something horrible to him or possibly ask for ransom money.

That did not happen. Their general, one Peterson, explained they had saved him from the New Reich. His father had been in contact with them during the last few months of his life, directly after he figured out his machines were hurting people. Winn had apologized extensively on his father's behalf. He learned that Mr. Schott Sr. had detested the rebels and everything they stood for, but changed his ways when he realized they – just like himself – wanted a better world to live in. The Freedom Fighters did not manage to open Mr. Schott Sr.'s eyes to the full extension of the truth; he died before he learned how far the New Reich was willing to go.

Winn had decided to stay with them and help the people who had been wronged by society before. in the meantime, the media declared him dead and told the people the Freedom Fighters had murdered him. They buried an empty coffin in front of the cameras. It only helped Winn in the long run – when everyone assumed you were dead, they were less likely to recognize you later in life and to believe it indeed was you.

Winn grew up with the Freedom Fighters around him. He did not continue his studies in high school but focused more on his military expertise. Living with the rebels twenty-four-seven, he had only the best teachers around him and he soaked in all the knowledge he needed. After he turned seventeen, he went on missions with the rebels. By age nineteen, he started training some people of all ages who needed to be taught how to use a gun or other weapons to protect himself.

The next few years, Winn became less and less 'the son of' and more and more his own person. He quickly climbed the Freedom Fighter ranks and when Peterson passed away, it was decided Winn, as well as another promising recruit, would take the lead. The other recruit was shipped off to a prison camp after she'd been caught doing illegal activities; Winn Schott Jr. was left to be the one leader of the Freedom Fighters, taking the title of 'general'.

* * *

When the Führer and the New Reich General died on Earth-One, a power vacuum was created. The Freedom Fighters seized control of the streets and informally assumed power. Even with two contenders for the Führer title, the Freedom Fighters remained patient and strong, as they had been for so long. After the murder of one of these contenders, Winn took his chance and proclaimed himself the temporary ruler of the country. The Freedom Fighters became his army and the loyalist soldiers, who already had low morale, either were killed or surrendered.

Then Winn focused all of his attention to the New Reichsmen who were still out there. Winn himself tracked down and imprisoned every last New Reichsman who had not yet died. The Siren was the last of the New Reichsman; only a few, like Blitzkrieg, remained out of their hands. As far as Winn was concerned, they knew they had won the battle and the majority of the people supported him.

The war was far from over. Germany may not be happy with the loss of their independent state at the other side of the ocean and loyalists among the people would definitely rise up in the place of the many Freedom Fighters and vigilantes previously mentioned. In any case, there was some peace in the New Reich, and Winn had taken the opportunity to relinquish his title and pass it on to someone else.

* * *

There is a good reason why the General did not become the official leader of America. First and foremost, it was never his ambition to rule. He merely wished for a better world so the rebellions and civil wars would end, but he never wanted to rule over people. Secondly, he only knew how to lead in times of war and unrest. While his expertise may still be needed, the nation also needed someone who could rule in times of peace and quiet. General Winn Schott simply doesn't know how to do that. that is the reason why he stepped down when he was certain nobody was going to attack their nation in the short term.

To this day, he still works closely with the current president. There will still be people who disagree with the new way the country was being ruled and who would like to go back to the way things were. The General has promised to keep helping out until he is no longer needed.


	20. Family

There are two more people we need to discuss; two dark-skinned men who take to the streets and try to protect the people in their own way. I would like to mention them in the same chapter not only because they are directly related to Iris West, but because they are heroes in their own right. As a cop or a speedster, Joe and Wally West have each done much to keep the people of Central City safe and, in later life, campaigned for more respect and inclusivity for racial minorities. This is the story of how they got to the present.

* * *

Joe West was a good man. However, given the circumstances of his childhood and his skin color, he was forced to behave like someone he was not. It did not prevent him from growing as a kind young man who respected everyone and who believed the people who pushed him down and oppressed minorities were sad creatures deserving of pity, because their minds were too small to understand they were all human, regardless of skin color.

Joe also always had a strong sense of justice. He always had been a man of the law and the law needed to be followed – unless the laws were bigoted or prejudiced. None of the laws specified that discrimination should be punished, but discrimination wasn't encouraged either. Still, he used this and many other arguments to make sure the person insulting or assaulting him or a black friend would step down or, if possible, would be punished as if he had assaulted a white person. He used argument such as libel, stalking, defamation and threats of violence to the local police station. Most of the charges were dropped, but some were followed up and of those, only a handful got prosecuted. It was because of this Joe wanted to become a police officer.

Joe joined the police academy no problem. It was fighting against discrimination from everyone there, both recruits and trainers, that was the hard part. Many believed he would drop out before he finished his first year and tried to make sure he would. But Joe never let them take him down and persisted, despite the constant bullying. He became one of the first minority recruits who did not quit after the first few months. He even graduated from the police academy – after a while, they had realized a black cop would only benefit them. They realized they could point to him when some random activist called them out for displaying clear racism at the academy.

Joe took a job downtown with some of the other graduates. Many of those pursued a higher job, not wanting to stay – not even for a meager paycheck – and so those who had stopped bullying him were replaced with people who weren't afraid to pick up their work. He reported the bullies to his superior, though it was more a symbolic declaration than a step to take action. His superior often sided with Joe, though he could take no action against them. with the police captain on his side, Joe managed to survive in his profession longer than the average person of minority.

However, there was a part of his job he did not enjoy, but which was vital and necessary if he wanted to keep it. There were certain suspects he was not allowed to pursue: the big bosses, anyone with money or influence. If you had even the idea of arresting those people, they were going to make sure you ended behind bars instead. They have also been known to bribe the police force and provide much-needed funding – just enough so they could afford the newest weapons and tools.

In other words, to survive in his profession, Joe had to become corrupt. He wasn't happy about it, but he needed to do it. There was a certain stigma surrounding the cops; they were feared by Joe's community, which saw his appointment as a victory and a betrayal. Joe broke the stereotype that no person of minority could be a good police officer. Joe lost a lot of friends – he often had to take the side of the police over his own friends'. They did not want to be associated with the cops, but promised they would welcome him back if he was fired or when he retired, whichever happened first.

Joe tried hard not to lose his job. He needed it. If he was fired, any other job he would get afterward would not pay him as much as his meager police wage. Without the money or the job, he would've ended up on the streets ten times over.

With not many people around him who supported him, Joe swallowed his words and kept his grudges under wrap. He continued with the thought that the people he could not lock up would get what they deserved in due time. Lady Justice would find a way. As for his former friends, they might come around one day and might ask him for forgiveness. He would forgive, but he was not going to pretend that they had not avoided him while he was on the side of the law. There were many other people in the world, such as his son or the few friends he made on the job. They wouldn't let him down.

At the time, he was going to survive this world. He'd rather be with than without his dignity, but that's not how the game is played.

* * *

Wally West loved to race. Not only was it a way for him to gain that extra bit of money, but he also loved the thrill of being in a car that was driving at full speed. It was not the most legal way to earn some more money, but he figured that if his father Joe had to be a corrupt cop to earn his wage, Wally could at least keep driving until he found a steady job.

There aren't many steady jobs on the market for dark-skinned youths like himself. the best job offer he'd found was as a dishwasher in the back of a nearby restaurant, and even then the working conditions weren't the best either. The staff had appeared racist – because of course they were – and he had had the feeling they would definitely target him for having a different skin color and for being 'too dumb to do anything but to wash the dishes'.

The racers did not discriminate. It did not matter what the color of your skin was, but how fast your car was. there were no whites in sight because they would shut this down if they knew about it. This greatly affected everyone's morale and their frustration with the current system. But the races were good – it was a beautiful way of inclusion. I dare say a progressive white with the approval of one of the drivers and someone else to vouch for him, would be welcome on the track, even if they would not be immediately trusted.

Wally was racing when the particle accelerator exploded. The blast impact effectively stopped the race. Multiple drivers were hurt, including Wally, who was holding the wheel tightly and was going near 170 mph. his car was the only one that crashed and afterward exploded.

A Latina driver in the race saved him from the burning wreck before it exploded and brought him to a hospital. Since many had gotten hurt in the blast wave of the accelerator explosion, the hospitals were filling up. fortunately, doctors and nurses rarely turned away a dark-skinned patient. Only the pompous elite doctors did this; almost all other medical staff gladly helped anyone who needed their help.

Wally was left behind in the Central City Center Hospital, where Joe visited him as often as he could. His son had been racing and he was currently in a coma, they told him. They had no idea when Wally would wake up. _If_ he would wake up. The thought of losing another child was unbearable.

Six months later, Wally did wake up. He felt fine, though a bit hungry. Nothing to worry about. He returned home and decided to look for a proper job. The hospital bills were expensive and resting at home was not an option when so much money needed to be paid. Wally worked a couple of odd jobs, though he never could keep them. the wages were enough to keep him and his father under a roof just a little longer.

One day, however, Wally's life changed forever. He heard some people were changed by the particle accelerator explosion's blast, physically or mentally. Some guy could stretch his limbs and a journalist could turn into pure electricity or something. Those two were part of those with changes that had been made public. Dozens upon dozens of new metahumans had been created, people with powers who were now thrown into the deep end, often without guidance about how they could use their powers. A positive development was that they could choose to turn away from the government's help; a negative development was that Wally's powers were… desirable.

Like Blitzkrieg, Wally was gifted with the ability to run fast. Some people might have discarded it, but there were many more applications to speed than the New Reich could have ever predicted. They already knew how powerful Barry Allen has become and could still become. You can imagine the effort the New Reich makes to recruit a second speedster into their ranks.

There was one detail that made his loyalty impossible: the New Reich had killed his sister. He wasn't going to allow them to get their hands on him. That evening, he bade a tearful goodbye to his father and he ran. Wally did not worry about his father; on his own, he made enough to afford the roof above his head and enough food to get by. Wally only relieved him from a financial burden – removing him from a fight that might break out in his father's house.

While Wally was looking for a place to stay, he accidentally stumbled upon the Freedom Fighters, who recognized his powers and hatred for the New Reich and they took him in. Under the guidance of Ray Terrill, he learned how to control his powers and quickly learned of new abilities, such as throwing lighting and phasing through walls. Only when they gave him a suit – that would negate all friction generated by his while he ran – did he consider himself a Freedom Fighter.

Known to the public as the Flash, he often went toe to toe with Blitzkrieg. He was not as powerful, but he was nimbler and though he often lost the fight, Blitzkrieg never managed to capture the young speedster. Wally never gave up hope and kept confronting Blitzkrieg whenever he could, often eliciting it himself to try and beat the man that dragged Irish to her death.

This cat and mouse game lasted forever and would never really end, for neither of them would claim defeat.

* * *

Joe knew the path he had chosen for himself would end in dishonesty and actions he would otherwise not condone. Wally knew his powers were a responsibility he had to bear, being the only one who came close to being powerful enough to fight Blitzkrieg and potentially win.

After the Fall of the New Reich, Joe got a bit more respect and finally found the courage to prosecute and arrest the people that had seemed untouchable when he first met them. Because of Wally and his ties to the Freedom Fighters, he was able to arrest them and never felt repercussions of those people who believed their actions would go unpunished.

While Joe was finding peace, Wally was anxious. Blitzkrieg had left the continent and now resided in Germany, without anyone knowing whether he would be returning to the New Reich. He could not sit still, wondering when Blitzkrieg would return and chasing every lead he could find, even if it always leads to nothing.

Joe and Wally West survived despite the odds. They have told me they continue to live for Iris and for everyone who had been wronged by the New Reich. They consider their very survival as a victory in itself. And it should be regarded as such.


	21. Part II: Merlyn and Queen families

We will now move on from the chosen slice-of-life stories these people have told. Their lives made a definitive impact, but they were not the only ones who impacted the course of history or even the course this country took. Before the Freedom Fighters rose up, there still were two family lines, accidentally joined together and intertwined for a long time. Their children were just as influential, if not more influential, than the people preceding them.

The families we will follow in the next part are the Merlyn and Queen families.

This second part will not be consisted of random tales of glory and pain, or follow a new person every chapter. This part, as well as the next, will delve deeper into one of two factions who are at each other's throats after Führer Queen dies. It will mention, briefly, the most important moments of these families' lives. I believe it to be insightful to know what each individual had been doing before the invasion of Earth-1, and as to better understand how they operated. Not to show them in a more humane light, but to show how their upbringing turned perfectly healthy children into monsters by their education and environment.

I hope you will find yourself thinking critically about the people in these parts, and hope this will not make you excuse their behavior later in life, for this is not the purpose of this book.

Please do not use my work to justify their actions.

-Elias Jensen


	22. Prelude - two empires

The Merlyn and Queen families were two of the most influential families in Star City and the New Reich. These families thrived in their accumulated wealth, to which they added a large sum each passing year. It is rumored they had so much money it would last until their grandchildren had grandchildren themselves. People also believe one of the Führers had married a woman bearing the Queen name, but she supposedly took her husband's name and no records indicate a Queen woman ever married a Führer.

Despite their similarities, the families had never interfered in each other's business. History shows there was once a rivalry between the two families, which is why they never worked together. None of that survived to the present time, as the families became great friends as well as business partners.

A special occasion was the birth of two baby boys, one of each family, which took place around the same time. The boys became best friends and were proud of their not-so-humble beginnings. Their names were Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen. Their parents could not be happier and their births were ostentatiously celebrated.

Tragedy befell the families when the boys were three years old. Malcolm Merlyn lost his wife to cancer and buried himself in his work, barely having any time left for his son. Across the street, Moira discovered her husband had secretly been showing sympathy to rebel factions. Robert made plans to make decisions in the Führer's name – presumably with the latter's consent – to placate the people and implement systems that would benefit the rebels in the long run, nudging the country towards a more democratic system. But Moira loved the current system and, being a model citizen, she performed her duty and reported her husband's actions. A week later, Robert mysteriously disappeared while traveling abroad for their business. He would've taken Oliver with him, but Moira decided against it; she knew that when Robert boarded the plane, he would never return.

His betrayal and Malcolm's wife's death broke them and they sought comfort with one another. Eleven months later, a new baby was born: Thea Merlyn-Queen. It was the biggest news of the year – an unexpected baby bearing a double surname. It confirmed the rumors that Moira Queen and Malcolm Merlyn were having an affair, the result of which was now visible. The journalists wondered which surname the girl would have had if they hadn't chosen to give her both surnames. Malcolm and Moira had no answer; a single surname was never an option.

This started a new chapter in the lives of both families. Tommy and Oliver were thrilled to have a little sister. This girl, the journalists speculated, would be the most wanted bachelorette of the city, possibly even the country. She was going to be an heir to both of the families' wealth who may end up with the most inheritance money when her parents passed away. The journalists saw a bright future for the baby, still barely a week old at the time.

Malcolm and Moira did not marry – out of respect for his deceased wife, they decided not to tie the knot. Still, the families moved into the same mansion in one of the nicer neighborhood of Star City. Tommy fell under Moira's care and Malcolm acted as Oliver's surrogate father. This can easily be described as one of the happiest periods of their lives.

This happiness was not meant to last. Their education solidified the worldview of their parents and they maintained it far into adulthood. At the end of the day, the inseparable siblings died far away from one another, some living longer than the others, yet none of them ever considered what they believe in life was anything but good and essential for survival. These are the crucial moments of their history.


	23. Bow and arrow

Children are usually nervous on the first day of school. They are confronted with a new environment, new people to meet and the stress that comes from those two factors alone. This could not be said about the Oliver Queen and Tommy Merlyn. From a young age, the two boys had been taught appropriately – they did not need to be nervous or stressed. Because of their last name, everyone would know them and so, the others should be nervous and stressed when they were around.

Oliver and Tommy would indeed be the two most well-known students in their school. This Academy was located in the middle of Star City and had a great reputation for its excellence. This was also the school Moira and Malcolm graduated from. It covered all grades and all subjects, from math and German to war strategies and archery. The latter classes, which were part of the military training program, were only covered from the seventh grade onwards. The children of wealthy and upper-class families would be some of the best soldiers and commanders, should they later choose a military career, specifically because they had been trained with their weapon from the beginning of their school years. But unlike the other kids, the two boys were going to be training with their weapons from the first grade onward. They would spend the first six years solidifying the basics of German and math as well as other subjects, with only a little tutoring in the craft of war on the weekends. From the seventh grade onwards, they would be joining their classmates in classes according to their mastery of the weapon.

The students of the seventh grade were given the opportunity to choose their weapon in front of their parents in a formal weapon ceremony. It was meant to give the choice more gravity and to give the children a boost of confidence. The eleven-, twelve- or thirteen-year-olds of the seventh grade often already had made up their mind and headed to the ceremony on their first day of school with a confident feeling, knowing what they wanted. Yet, that year, they were going to be overshadowed by the Merlyn and Queen boys.

First, the seventh-graders picked their weapon of choice. They raised it in the air for everyone to see, and the attending parents clapped. Most of the children chose the gun, though every once in a while someone would choose a more exotic weapon, such as swords or nun-chucks. After an hour, every seventh grader had picked their weapon.

Around that time, Mrs. Queen and Mr. Merlyn arrived with their boys. The crowd was not surprised – the boys were seven now, and if Malcolm had been allowed to wield a weapon at that age, the boys would be allowed the same privilege. Only their age – Oliver and Tommy were only seven – shocked them and they disagreed with the ideas that Moira and Malcolm agreed with.

Tommy Merlyn went first. He walked to the table in the middle of the stage, where all the weapons were displayed. He was barely tall enough to look on the table and at the weapons that had been displayed. They provided a little chair for him to stand on and to take a closer look at the more exotic weapons – he had decided he did not want guns or any other weapons that would keep him far away from any enemies.

He studied each close quarter weapon extensively, often pointing at some and asking the head weapons teacher what they were called. He knew their names, but their appearance was something he was not familiar with. After five minutes of contemplation, Tommy made the well-thought-out decision a seven-year-old was capable of and reached across the table. He'd wanted to grab two swords that were meant for the older students. Still, he grabbed one of them and raised it in the air for as long as he was able to. The crowd clapped politely – this child deserved the same applause the seventh-graders received during this arbitrary annual ceremony.

The moment Oliver walked onto the stage, it was clear he and Tommy were different. Tommy was quiet and happy, taking his time to weigh his options and to make such a life-changing decision. Oliver, on the other hand, walked up to the stage with pride and an air of arrogance – he was Oliver Queen, and he demanded attention and not any less respect than Tommy had been given.

Oliver did not stay on the stage for five minutes. While Tommy had been busy, Oliver also had the time to get a good look of the table from afar. He had made his decision long before his best friend lifted one of the double swords.

He marched to the table, straight to his weapon. He grabbed a bow from the table and though it was a bit too heavy for him, he held it above his head. He did not seem to struggle with this – something that stood out after Tommy's display of weakness. He received a bigger applause.

In his arrogance, Oliver wanted to take the bow home with him. All weapons were supposed to stay on the table and in the possession of the Academy, to make sure the children would not hurt themselves at home with those weapons. The teacher eventually managed to take the bow back. Moira had to make some promises, bur Oliver let go once he realized he had to be a little older before he could properly use that kind of bow. When he was strong enough, he did practice with that same bow – the bow, that later became his prime murder weapon.

The two friends slowly worked on their skills until they could join the classes after leaving primary school in the sixth grade. They took different approaches: Oliver wanted to rush the progress while Tommy patiently built up his skills. As a result, he was calmer than Oliver during his training, because 'why couldn't he just hit the bullseye already'?

Eventually, they would not start in the seventh-grade classes, but in the eleventh and tenth grade for these weapons respectively. Their skill level was high enough to place them in these grades. Their teachers would speak about how odd it was a twelve-year-old had the skill they expected of their teenagers. Because they were Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen, however, they did not speak any complaints and silently complied to the will of their wealthy parents.

* * *

Three years after Tommy and Oliver had their chance, Thea started in the first grade of the same school. Like her brothers, she was allowed to choose a weapon. Unlike her brothers, she sparked a controversy. People were willing to look away when two young boys chose weapons. When a six-year-old girl was allowed to do the same, it suddenly was 'not appropriate'. She should not have to pick a weapon, she was so young? How was this any good for her? How could anyone allow this to happen?

Those people may have voiced their opinions, but nobody acted upon them. She was Thea Merlyn-Queen. As such, she was allowed to do anything her brothers had done. And, just like them, she wanted a weapon at the start of the first grade.

The parents created a fuss when she was called last to choose her weapon. Yet, it died down quickly when they noticed Mr. Merlyn, Mrs. Queen or anyone from their security detail looked in their general direction.

Thea Merlyn-Queen walked onto the stage, shooting one grin at her brothers before focusing on the task at hand. She took her time to look at all the displayed weapons, but she was determined not to wait too long and to choose with her gut. She already had an idea about what she wanted, and looking at the weapons made her only solidified the idea.

Her eye fell on the bow at the far end of the table. It was Oliver's weapon – the weapon of precision and accuracy, patience and quick thinking. She'd often seen Oliver practice at home or in the Star City park and she admired the skills he had built up, even over the course of three years.

Her decision was made. Thea walked to the end of the table and stared at the bow. She was not strong enough to pick up the bow and hold it up for everyone to see. Instead, the grabbed an arrow lying next to it and raised that in the air instead. It had the same effect on the crowd – they politely clapped. Thea put the arrow back in place and returned to her family, beaming with pride.

"Congratulations, Thea," Tommy said, a wide grin on his face.

"Archery, huh?" Oliver said. He'd folded his arms and he smiled, but Thea nonetheless thought Oliver was disappointed.

"It's not just for you, Ollie," she said. "Anyone can be an archer. I will be an archer."

Oliver pulled his little sister into a hug.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered. "Don't you forget that."

When they stopped hugging each other, Thea grinned at him. "Just you wait, I'm going to be better than you."

"We'll see." Mr. Merlyn stepped in before Oliver could reply. "We can't know right away. When you're both adults, we can see who's the better archer."

"Great!" Oliver beamed – he believed he would win this competition. Thea rolled her eyes.

By the time Oliver and Thea were adults, they no longer cared about who was better. Thea had even put her bow away, only to be used on special occasions. She still practiced, but she had not joined the New Reichsmen and her job was mostly paperwork and running Queen Consolidated. She loved archery, but there were other ways – non-violent ways – you could bring an enemy to his knees as well. Thea much preferred those strategies over what Oliver would enjoy most: breaking in and threatening them, possibly sending them to the hospital or the graveyard.

If you would ask Oliver, he was the better archer. If you asked Thea, she'd say the most important thing was serving the Reich.


	24. Kryptonian

Seventh grade was a milestone, especially for Oliver Queen. He had become so skilled in archery, he was soon going to attend the eleventh-grade archery classes. Even to the older students, his classmates for this one subjects and his theoretical equals, Oliver would brag about hitting every target for the last five years.

Tommy Merlyn and Thea Merlyn-Queen had made progress as well. Tommy took his time, while Thea – like her brother – struggled to keep her cool when it didn't go as easy as it had looked.

But this chapter is not about this training. This chapter describes the most memorable event of Oliver and Tommy's first day of school.

As previously stated, seventh grade is a milestone. The Academy took in students from grades seven through twelve, while its _Grundschule_ – the primary school – taught students from grades one through six. The New Reich based this system on the way Berlin organized education; this way, they did not have to needlessly invest in three different school properties – they effectively turned three blocks of four years into two blocks of six years. This would also save them some space that could now be occupied by industrial buildings or training areas for the ever-growing military.

In other words, seventh grade was special because Tommy and Oliver moved on to the Academy. This Gymnasium had a great reputation, accepting only the best students or the children of parents with a lot of money, sometimes even meta-humans on a scholarship or in the Metahuman Integration Program. They offered military training to metas and non-metas separately, while the groups would be reunited for the more academic subjects. They wanted these children to interact; the life of a non-meta may depend on the meta that he went to school with, and vice versa. Comradery was encouraged.

The only one objecting to this change in school was Thea. She'd loved going to school with Tommy and Oliver, but she was only in the fourth grade of the Grundschule. She begged to go to the Academy with her brothers. Moira and Malcolm did not give in to her demands and explained she would first have to finish three more years of Grundschule before they'd be attending classes in the Academy.

Tommy and Oliver would miss Thea's presence from time to time, but there were many other interesting people that walked around on the Academy grounds, too. The boys especially paid attention to the metas. They walked up to people and asked them if they were metas and, if so, which powers they had.

Young Oliver sometimes wished he was a meta. While it seemed clear at the moment that he was not a meta, many theorists and historians like myself suspect that he was indeed a meta with an incredibly subtle power: accuracy. He would never miss a target, which was enough to fuel speculation. I must state again this is just a hypothesis and since Mr. Queen is dead at the time of writing this and nobody who knew him is willing to issue a statement, we will never know whether his accuracy was born into him or whether a rigorous training regime made him an incredibly accurate archer.

Tommy and Oliver also paid attention to the youngest on the Academy grounds: their future classmates for most of their classes. The people you trained with were going to be in contact with you for your entire life, be it as soldiers serving together or life-long friends. It did not mean it was easy to spot the seventh graders among the students on the playground - most of them felt right at home and were already making new friends.

The bell rang. The grades eight to twelve went to their first classes. The seventh grade, being new to the Academy, had to gather in the gym for the formal welcome by the headmistress, as well as being briefed about the rules and regulations of this Gymnasium.

Because of its fame, the Academy was relatively small. It did have a large teacher pool while each grade was split up in no more than four small groups of ten or twelve students. Classes within grades were still based upon which student group you belonged to – all subjects are mandatory and electives only extend to military-related subjects.

The entirety of the seventh-grade was big according to usual standards. There were about fifty students, from what Oliver could tell as he walked into the gym. Most of them did not yet stand out – Oliver figured he would get to know them better over the years. Still, he believed first appearances matter and this was not a very big first impression. This way of introducing students to the Academy did not warrant a big impression.

Tommy and Oliver chose a spot at the top of the gym's bleachers. There was more than enough space to fit the fifty students, but every seventh-grader congregated at the top. Tommy ended up sitting on the far side, at the stairs, while Oliver sat between him and a quite beautiful girl. She had nice blonde hair and talked to the girl sitting next to her. They kind of resembled each other; Oliver noticed they both were blonde and drew conclusions.

Eventually, this girl noticed Oliver was staring. She sharply turned her head and watched him cautiously. Her sister gave Oliver the same look. It made him believe they might think he had bad or sexual intentions.

"Is something wrong?" the girl asked. Oliver managed to snap out of it.

"I'm sorry," Oliver said. he smiled charismatically at them. "I shouldn't have stared. I just… I mean, you look good."

He wasn't lying. She was pretty for her age and her image complied with the Reich's beauty standards; another German import. Blonde eyes with blue eyes and pale skin. This always was attractive; it was also Oliver's standard for girls he wanted to date and the woman he would marry one day.

"Thanks," she said. She extended her hand to him. "I'm Laurel."

Oliver shook the hand. "Oliver."

Their gazes lingered while they pulled their hands back relatively quickly. So far, she was the most beautiful girl he had met. She was also the first person to make him introduce himself as just Oliver, and not as 'Oliver Queen'.

That was not necessary; Laurel had heard of him before and knew who she was talking to as soon as he said his name. She may have thought he was handsome, too. Some people suggested her crush on him started that day, though we may never know. We do know they stared at each other with smiles on their faces while Tommy watched, speechless at this girl's accomplishment.

Laurel's sister poked her arm and pointed at the small podium in front of the bleachers. At the same time, Tommy placed a hand on Oliver's arm. Oliver turned his head to Tommy, who pointed at the podium as well. The headmistress was just walking to the stand on the podium.

"It's starting," he said. Oliver decided to pay attention to the headmistress' speech, though he did sometimes glance at the cute girl sitting on his right.

Headmistress Hadon spoke for at least half an hour about the school, about its rules, about what their schedules would look like. Spectacularly, nobody spoke out of turn – the children listened carefully. It may not have seemed like Hadon was building up to some big reveal of great moment, but Oliver did sense something was going to happen. Something spectacular would happen at the end of the speech. He only failed to figure out what exactly – he knew it was not going to be as boring as the half an hour that preceded it.

Then the surprise was announced. Headmistress Hadon called two new students to the podium and asked them to stand next to her. They had come all the way from National City to attend the Academy. This news disappointed Oliver – so what if they came from many miles away? People traveled across the country to study at the Academy all the time; it was not a new phenomenon.

Oliver did recognize them as the girls Mr. Merlyn had visited on a business trip to National City last summer. He hadn't wanted to give Oliver, Tommy or Thea any details. He only mentioned they would meet her soon enough and that they would be amazed.

If they were to believe the headmistress, the blonde one – who was cute as well – was a very special person. In fact, she was so special that she was allowed to showcase what she could do in front of her classmates. Yet, for someone who had been comfortable with power, she seemed nervous that day. She may have felt his way because she did not know any of these people. Consequently, this may be the reason her sister was allowed on the podium as well.

"You can do it, Kara," her sister said. "Show 'em what you've got."

That was apparently all she needed to hear. She hovered into the air with renewed confidence. The seventh-graders in the audience were amazed but Oliver was not yet impressed. Metas were often accepted into the Academy. Metas could fly – there weren't many with this ability, but they existed. Her flying didn't make her too special.

While she was still in the air, Kara turned her head and blew air in the direction of one of the basketball hoops. She seemed to create clouds with her breath. As soon as the clouds hit the hoops and the pole, they froze.

Now that was impressive. The children went wild and clapped. Kara grinned widely and arrogantly, fueled by positive reactions.

"Did you see that?" Tommy exclaimed, an excited grin on his face. It was an infectious grin because Oliver soon grinned as well. So Kara was not a meta. Metas usually only had just one power. She had more than one, probably more than two as well. She was special.

She suddenly became a lot more attractive to Oliver Queen than the girl sitting on his right.


	25. Graduation

What occurred during grades seven through twelve is not less interesting than what happened after or before this period of time. I do believe what happened after their graduation from the Academy is more important to the growth and subsequent fall of the New Reich. This history book would be reduced to some teenage drama series that is only popular because of its shallow one-dimensional protagonists. These people already have meticulously recorded their lives, especially during their Gymnasium years. They have written their own memoirs. Though I would not recommend reading it, for its sole purpose is to glorify the person who wrote it or who had it written about them. However, these are the only public records that exist of what happened during these years, albeit as viewed through a carefully constructed propaganda-lens.

I also was not present during those years, so I cannot detail their development during these years. I can talk about the graduation and naming ceremony, which was caught on tape by proud family members and which I could look into.

The first part was the shorter part of the ceremony. Out of the fifty students, forty-seven students made it to this point. Two students failed one year and the other one was taken from the school for unknown reasons. The remaining forty-seven students received their Gymnasium diplomas and then lined up on the podium for the second part: the naming ceremony.

Then there was Alex Danvers, who was officially a graduate, but who decided to and received permission to stay for one extra year to perfect her close-quarter fighting skills. She would not be called up on the stage and was not part of the naming ceremony, though she officially would graduate today.

Every graduate received a nickname by the board of the Academy, based on their actions in school. It often links back to personalities and weapons, but could also be randomly picked based on how intimidating it sounds. A clear exception was a young man known as the 'Robin' because he was small and nimble. He had done a lot in his short career, and his methods were in sharp contrast to the cheerfulness a real robin may bring.

Both metas and non-metas were brought on the stage for the occasion – every one of them was going to receive a nickname. Some might regard it as an actual title that gives them a reason to be respected, even if the respect may not always be earned. Still, it was not up to the board to officially give them a nickname that would stick for the rest of their lives. These graduates would have to do the heavy work to make these names their own and turn it into a weapon itself.

Given that such a large number were given nicknames, most people inevitably faded away into obscurity as they stood in the shadows of those individuals who would matter most in the end. The same principle applied to this class, where eight individuals would make an actual difference.

The nicknames were announced in alphabetical order. As such, the students were lined up so that even those who had no idea what the names of these graduates were, they could easily follow who was receiving which nickname.

The headmistress walked to the microphone stand positioned to the far right of the stage. From that position, she announced the students' nicknames.

"Barry Allen. Blitzkrieg."

A haughty smile spread across Barry's face while the audience clapped and his friends congratulated him. It had a nice ring to it. Blitzkrieg. Not many received a German nickname like that. It could reflect the Academy's belief that Barry was going to do great. either way, it was a title fit for a speedster.

"Kara Danvers. Overgirl."

Kara's small smile deeply contrasted her folded arms and cold gaze. She nodded in acceptance of the nickname. It was perfect for someone who was expected to exceed expectations during life.

"Laurel Lance. The Siren."

Laurel grinned as if she was insane. She liked it. It did not only match her pretty appearance, but also her personality. A siren in myths lured people in with sweet songs and promises. Yet, once the sailors entered the waters and responded to the call, the siren showed her true hostile intentions. Her lullaby turns into a deafening cry – not unlike the one Laurel could produce – and the sailors stood no chance.

"Sara Lance. The Canary."

It seemed she was already celebrating her nickname. The light-heartedness she showed at school, her quick movements, as well as the fitting blonde hair, made this choice all the more obvious. Though the Canary was not a meta like the Siren, she could prove to be just as deadly, if not more deadly.

"Thomas Merlyn. Prometheus."

Tommy nodded once and silently thanked the committee for not giving him a lame nickname. Prometheus – the Greek giant that brought fire to the cold people of the earth. A true protector of man, just as Tommy would be to the citizens of the New Reich. Though Prometheus defied the gods, Tommy would set out to fight those that think themselves to be gods – those rebels who falsely believed they could establish a new world order.

"Raymond Palmer. The Atom."

This nickname was only a formality, but Ray appreciated the one the committee picked nonetheless. He may have no military qualities or aspirations, but he was a brilliant young scientist and engineer. With the help of Barry and his father, he created a demo version of a shrinking suit. It was only in the developmental stage, but this was enough to warrant this title.

"Oliver Queen. The Dark Arrow."

Oliver, like Tommy, nodded once. It seemed he was happy, though there is no denying there were better-sounding nicknames out there. In comparison to Tommy, his 'Prometheus' was better than 'Dark Arrow'. Oliver did show a liking towards the darker colored arrows while training, but everyone liked it more. I like to think the committee thought it was hard to find a good nickname since teenage Oliver Queen is hard to define.

Despite the nickname, people still clapped and congratulated him with the nickname, some reminding him he could easily rebrand himself some other way. But Oliver did not consider that for even a second. He was going to make it his goal to make it work.

Three years from now, Thea would attend her own graduation and naming ceremony. She would be given the nickname 'Arsenal', based on the number of trick arrows she would have liked to use during practice. Alex Danvers politely refused to be given a nickname of her own. She did not feel it would improve her status or the way she worked. She was aware that she was not going to be as great as her adoptive sister, and those who received an Academy nickname often never used it after the fact. She is the last Academy student who refused to be given such a nickname.

The headmistress congratulated the group once again before the young adults were released into the world – but first, they were going to do what teenagers liked to do. They were going to party.

All graduates and Alex Danvers went to the local dance hall, the Verdant, to celebrate their diplomas. Thea Merlyn-Queen attempted to sneak in – the senior parties were always more interesting – but the security caught her and not even her name could give her access to the party. The seniors stayed from four pm until ten pm. They dined there and though a recently implemented curfew was still in place, the seniors and their parents were allowed one extra hour to return home.

I was not present. I never attended such Academy senior party. I wish I were able to make a comparison, but I am unable to. I can only guess what happened based on what the graduates said about that evening. Still, I will try my best to make a faithful reconstruction of that night.

The party started at four. They played the favorite music of the seniors, either by a live band or recordings through speakers. Some songs would be played multiple times since they were popular. These songs were generally pop songs about love and duty, and some propaganda songs were thrown into the mix as well. The first three hours, these graduates hit the dancefloor.

Dinner was served at seven. Some did not realize until their friends were done eating. There was pizza and fries galore. The graduates did not bring the food on the dancefloor – they remained at the side and watched their friends while eating. Tables were scattered around in the venue, with enough chairs so that everyone could sit down. Yet not even half of the group did not sit at any given moment. if there were leftovers of this dinner, they would be eaten throughout the evening.

Alcohol was served from eight o'clock. The New Reich did not keep the previously established drinking age of 21 but instead followed the German model. The law dictated sixteen-year-olds were allowed to drink soft alcoholic drinks, such as beer and wine. Stronger alcoholic drinks, such as whiskey or vodka, were only available when they turned eighteen years old. Some seniors were not eighteen yet, but this law was respected. No seventeen-year-old touched a glass of alcohol they were not allowed to drink yet, and none of their older friends bought them a glass of beer. It must be their Academy discipline that stopped them from breaking this law.

After the bar was opened, there were two hours left on the dancefloor. The seniors remembered most of what happened in these two hours. For example, Sara Lance had a good time with one of her best friends, Alex Danvers, as they danced together. At the same time, Ray Palmer talked to his adoptive brother Barry about the suit.

But more interesting things occurred during this time-frame. To be precise, two things happened.

The first was a public display of affection between Tommy Merlyn and Laurel Lance. Multiple witnesses state the two had been around one another the entire time. They even kissed each other while drunk. They had never publicly shown any interest in each other before. Some seniors – cautiously – accused Tommy of forcing Laurel to kiss him. A couple of days later the two revealed they became enamored with one another. They never made it public to keep the number of rumors to a minimum. They were relieved to be able to reveal what was going on. Some thought it was funny that Laurel, who had been reported to be madly in love with Oliver Queen until the tenth grade, eventually settled for his best friend. She never spoke about "that silly crush" in public.

The other noteworthy event was Oliver being Oliver. He reportedly complained about his nickname while Kara was celebrating hers. Kara may have changed his mind about his nickname, though we cannot be sure. At this point, Kara and Oliver had been dating for four years. Kara loved Oliver's ruthlessness during training sessions while Oliver admired the same thing about Kara. It was a match made in heaven, and everyone knew it would be hard to separate them.

Oliver may have had the same idea. During the party, he proposed to Kara. She accepted it. They made it clear they were not going to be wed within the next year – both wanted to join the military and build a career and gain life experience before they would tie the knot. Oliver wanted to make the relationship a little more permanent, and he succeeded.

This is everything I know about this night. I can only imagine the seniors had the time of their lives while the lives of the most important players in the fall of the New Reich changed forever.

* * *

 **Out of curiosity; would you rather read an Avengers retelling with the Legends of Tomorrow, or with Arrowverse characters? Either works and I can't quite make out which one to write. Please let me know in the comments which version you would most likely read.**


	26. Ambitions

An important turning point in the lives of Tommy, Oliver, and Thea was the death of Moira Queen. Their mother had quietly passed away after contracting food poisoning, presumably from the restaurant they visited a day or two prior – a restaurant that was no longer in business and whose employees disappeared.

Oliver and Thea were at Moira's bedside when she died. Tommy, who was on a business trip to Central City, did not make it in time to say goodbye to his mother figure. Her last words were between mother and children – they are private and well-guarded, tough some information leaked after years while other pieces of information were revealed in privately recorded conversations I had access to.

Moira first talked to Thea. She asserted that Malcolm was a good man and that Robert had been good before the rebels had corrupted him with their ideals. For fear that the young man Thea had met – one Roy Harper – she told her daughter to be careful around him. Thea nodded and promised her mother that Roy would never be able to hurt her without retaliation.

Then Moira spoke to Oliver. This conversation is reportedly longer since Oliver engaged in the conversation while Thea merely listened to what her mother had to say. Oliver and Moira discussed many things, including legacy and death and what the future would hold.

Moira told Oliver Malcolm could be trusted. She suspected Oliver did not trust Thea's father and she had a good reason to believe he thought Malcolm would one day betray them as Robert had. She told Oliver to keep the family together, no matter what, and then handed him a letter.

This was an official document, one I could look into. The envelope contained the last will and testament of Moira Queen, as written down when she was violently ill. It detailed who would get which portion of her fortune. Thea and Oliver each got an equal share, while Tommy – whom Moira had come to love as her own son – only received what amounted to a fifth of her wealth. Malcolm did not inherit anything, for he was a wealthy man on his own. He later stated he would not have liked to have inherited any money from her, as "her children need it more than I do".

Moira Queen had been the most prominent shareholder of Queen Consolidated, her late husband's company. Malcolm had appointed a CEO to replace Robert but never involved himself too much in the Queen business affairs. The shares Moira once held were given to Oliver, who was expected to take her place on the board of directors.

After the conversation with Oliver, Moira had called Thea back into the room. They spent another hour together before Moira eventually passed away from the 'food poisoning'. That was the official reason, so as not to give too much power to the rebels.

The police picked one of the restaurant's employees and charged them for the 'food poisoning', sending them to a prison camp. This person's record shows that they never showed a dislike towards the Reich – it is very likely this person was randomly chosen so the police would not be regarded as incapable. I suspect that the police also planted evidence in their home as well to further justify this arrest, though this is only speculation on my part. This person became one of the most hated rebels of the century, even though they never had contact with the Freedom Fighters or acted rebelliously. That is why I will not mention their name here. history has given their name such a bad connotation, only anonymity would destroy that false reputation.

* * *

Before the funeral, Tommy returned home and visited Oliver. He did not expect to see Thea – he had learned Thea and Oliver argued before his arrival that hadn't been talked out yet. The evening before the funeral, the two friends opened a bottle of expensive champagne in Oliver's apartment and they filled two glasses.

"To Moira Queen." Tommy raised his glass, Oliver followed suit. Sad smiles came upon their faces.

"To Moira Queen."

They emptied their glasses and Oliver filled them up. This could be a long night for both, as they took a trip down memory lane and remember their mother.

Tommy, curious about what Oliver had to say, could not stay silent about this subject. After the first ad fundum, Tommy took only one small sip of the filled glass and looked at Oliver.

"So… I've heard you sold her shares in Queen Consolidated."

Oliver slowly placed the glass back on the table after taking a sip, not looking at Tommy at first. The smile was wiped off of his face and Tommy regretted asking.

"What if I did?" Oliver said, turning his head to his friend. He stared at Tommy with penetrating eyes. Tommy looked at him in disbelief.

"You've sold your mother's shares." Tommy spoke as if it was just as bad as supporting the rebels. "I knew you were heartless, but this tops everything you've ever done."

Oliver did not flinch at the accusation. He merely stared at his friend for a moment, a neutral look on his face.

"Who is your source?" Oliver asked. Tommy, who had not expected the question, was taken aback.

"Thea told me," he responded. Oliver nodded.

"Yeah, I thought so." He took another sip from his glass of champagne – he did not seem to be in a rush to explain himself. "I sold the shares to Malcolm after making an informed decision. Did Thea tell you that, too?"

Tommy shook his head in response. If his father had told him, he would not have asked. Thea had chosen not to disclose that information with him.

"Because you still take every piece of information for granted," Oliver said in a semi-condescending tone. "You didn't even consider asking her who I'd sold them to."

"I can trust Thea," Tommy said in defense of their sister. Why wouldn't he be able to trust her? They had been raised with the same morals and ideas – the only thing they could be different was in their execution of certain tasks.

"But can you think critically about the given information?" Oliver had shifted his tone to sound less condescending. "It could have been news the rebels are spreading to discredit me and to distract us."

Tommy nodded. Oliver was right; the rebels did want to spread bad rumors and one of Thea's weaknesses was checking her sources. Even if the source was liable, she did not always accurately deliver the information to someone else. Who knows, in her emotional state, she may even distort information without her wanting to.

"But why did you sell them?" Tommy asked. Oliver would never sell them unless there was a superior motive, one Tommy did not immediately see. It was true that Oliver was not fit to run a company and both knew it, but that could not be the official reason.

"I'd like to keep my options open," Oliver responded.

Tommy frowned. "And that means?"

"The Führer isn't young anymore. Someone needs to be ready to take his place when he dies."

There was one word that resonated with Tommy. When. Not if, but when.

But he did not mention it. He took a big sip from his champagne in an attempt to distract himself from Oliver questioning the Führer's health and suggesting he may die soon as well as insulting him by indirectly calling him an old man. You are not supposed to speak ill of the Führer.

Tommy could not complain. He was Oliver Queen and could get away with much more than the average citizen could get away with.

That evening, they did not speak about the Führer anymore. They drank their champagne and toasted to Moira Queen, reminiscing about the times that came before and remembering their mother.

The funeral was held the next day. No incidents happened during or after the event. Despite her involvement in the elite, the people still loved her.


	27. Marriage

Due to personal circumstances, it was only a given that I was not invited to the wedding of the century; Mr. Queen and Ms. Danvers did not know me well. However, I was one of the few people who was not interested in this marriage and rather kept myself to my own business. Still, since this was a magnificent event and since it is regarded as a crucial moment in history, I will be covering it here. it was televised and some witnesses spoke to me about the wedding, so it should not be hard to create a full picture of the events.

It had been three years since Oliver became engaged to Kara. Since then, they had evolved as people and while they initially planned to wait five years, they concluded they could no longer wait. Within three months of announcing the wedding, the event had been fully planned, the invitations sent and – most importantly – Oliver and Kara were ready to be declared husband and wife.

It was a nice summer day which had the perfect temperature – warm, but not too hot, with a nice breeze. Oliver arrived first. Cameras flashed as if this was a red-carpet event. It most definitely was – many celebrities and his friends of the elite came to attend the ceremony. Many of them had already passed them and had already gone inside.

Malcolm Merlyn wore an all-black suit with a red rose in the breast pocket. He told the press the rose represented Moira Queen, who died only two weeks ago and who would have been so proud of her son. He was one of the few guests to come without a plus-one.

Tommy Merlyn followed with Laurel Lance, who wore a stunning red dress. The couple beamed and were extremely happy for Oliver. Laurel was asked about her crush on Oliver, but she did not wish to comment.

Thea Queen-Merlyn brought an unusual and equally controversial plus-one: none other than Roy Harper, the red archer who'd been terrorizing certain neighborhoods and who claimed all the criminals and police officers he'd killed were working against the New Reich. Thea found him on the street when someone tried to rob her. Now he is her new companion, because "he's interesting enough to keep around". Mr. Harper stated he hoped Thea's family (and the world) would see he only means the best. The press focused on how out-of-place he was at this wedding.

Many others came, including almost all of their old classmates; Quentin Lance and his daughter Sara attended as well, the latter also serving as Ray Palmer's plus one. Barry Allen and Rory Regan were not accompanied by any plus ones. They were asked how the other Palmer brother was doing. Nathaniel Heywood reportedly had gone to Germany for his education and remained in Europe, which was the reason why he was not in the New Reich. Barry and Rory claimed Nate was doing fine; facts say otherwise. Other attendees were Kara's family and friends. Kara was the last person to arrive. Since the passing of their father, Alex was going to give Kara away.

Since the Queen family was heavily involved with the Führer, it was rumored that he may show up in public for the first time in years to attend the wedding. Everyone waited for the moment their leader would arrive. In the end, the newlyweds received many gifts and the best wishes from the Führer, who stayed at home but followed the ceremony from the comforts of his living room.

The ceremony was spectacular compared to the weddings that were normally held. The big Star City Catholic Church was the perfect location for Oliver and Kara – not because of its religious value, but because of tradition. The couple honored the Queen family tradition of marrying in the church. If Tommy and Thea ever married, they would choose this location as well. The building was packed with people – those who had been invited filled the seats, while the general public and the press remained outside and followed the ceremony on big screens.

The look on Oliver's face when he saw Kara in her wedding dress for the first time was strangely humanizing. A bright smile came across his face. Kara broke her usual tough girl façade and smiled as well. they may be sadists and terrible people, but you cannot tell anyone they only married each other for status and prestige. They truly loved each other. I cannot imagine them loving anyone else.

Given that Oliver and Kara were not the most patient people in the world, the ceremony only contained the bare minimum. No religious verses were read out loud and neither did they reference Bible stories. In a world that was largely atheistic with a focus on the Führer's personality cult, they had become redundant. The mayor – who officiated the marriage – read aloud the blessings from the Führer to Kara and Oliver, followed by their vows.

The rings were placed on their fingers. The traditional questions were asked and answered positively. The mayor declared them husband and wife, the guests cheered and Kara and Oliver kissed.

When Kara and Oliver exited the church, they were beaming and they waved at the people outside. Oliver first planned to go to the limousine as quickly as possible, so that he could enjoy his wife at the reception. Kara had a different idea – she hovered three feet in the air so the people in the back also had a chance of seeing her. "Keep them entertained." She did not stay in the air for too long, though, and soon she joined her husband in the limousine.

As was usual, the newlywed couple held a wedding reception immediately after the ceremony. There would be press, but only a limited amount. Only one camera crew for the televised news, as well as a couple of reporters and photographers for three newspapers. As soon as their work was done, they were asked to leave. The reception was a private party, and the newlyweds wanted their privacy as well as their guests' to be respected. They wanted their guests to feel they did not have to fear bad press from drinking too much or showing some unflattering dance moves.

One reporter has asked Kara how they should refer to her. she told her she was not taking Oliver's name – her own name should be enough. Kara was very adamant and demanded to be called 'Danvers' when they talked about her alone since she was not and never would be her husband's property. The press did switch from calling her Miss Danvers to Mrs. Danvers, but they referred to the couple as the "Queens". I will do the same.

No major incident happened during the reception itself. Not even a scandal surrounding one of the more prominent guests, which involved Sara Lance, could overshadow this beautiful event. It was a good thing for the Queens that Sara was not present in the main hall when the incriminating event happened, and as such, it was not linked to this wedding.

The highlight of the reception was the speech Oliver gave after dinner was served. It was a promise, a warning, a message to take to heart, among many other things. He spoke and entertained the guests for half an hour and they were never bored. One specific passage did stand out.

"The Führer could not make it. I understand that his health goes before a public event, as it should. I hope he will stay in good health for as long as possible and that nothing tragic will happen in the meantime."

It was an odd statement. Yet, nobody paid much attention to this specific passage. They never isolated this passage, and he was specifically listing the absentees, who could not make it for obvious and not-so obvious reasons, which was following by thanking everyone who was and was not present for everything they had done for him and Kara.

Thus this statement was discarded, the guests forgot about it and celebrated the wedding. All across the city, and possibly the country, their marriage was celebrated as well. It was a big success; people were not lying when they call it the wedding of the century.


	28. The New Führer

**From this chapter forward, updates will be posted weekly instead of bi-weekly.**

* * *

Two weeks and a half after the wedding, the country was struck with tragedy: the Führer had been murdered while he was in his office. After hours of inactivity, his security detail entered his room and found him with two arrows stuck in his chest and the window open. The arrows' fletching was red. There was no sign of forced entry, not even on the window, so they suspected that whoever had committed this heinous crime had entered without attracting attention – and that the Führer himself allowed the culprit in his office. The security guards said they did not see anything out of the ordinary, though it is suspected they tried not to be tried and killed or sent away for negligence. The investigators could not rely on security cameras either; all relevant footage had been wiped and could not be recovered. The only things they could use were the arrows, lodged in their supreme leader's torso.

The next day, when the news of the Führer's death was released to the public, the police still had not found the culprit. The people demanded to know who it was, unaware the police had no clue. At the same time, Malcolm Merlyn was following the news from the comforts of his home.

Malcolm did not weep. The Führer, in his last years, had been an old and ill man. He would have passed away of natural causes within a year or so, Malcolm believed. The Führer was not an immortal man. It was only inevitable they would have to say goodbye to the leader of their country someday, and that day was today.

While the news was still airing, Oliver came home, carrying a bag with him – Malcolm did not see it and he did not ask about it, either. He just watched the boy he had come to love as his son place the bag on the couch.

"The Führer is dead," Malcolm announced. "He passed away yesterday."

"That's bad," Oliver said, and Malcolm gauged the young man's reaction. Someone else would have stopped and started mourning. Oliver, on the other hand, was a smart man and knew it was coming. Still, he was not surprised. He just rummaged through his bag absent-mindedly, as if the news did not bother him.

Malcolm moved to the cupboard in the living room where he kept his dagger.

"There were arrows found in his chest," Malcolm continued. "I don't suppose you had something to do with it?"

"They had red fletching," Oliver responded. The news had not mentioned red fletching yet; it was an ongoing investigation and did not want the culprit to know they're on to him. "I work with dark fletchings. It could not have been me."

"And that's good enough a reason not to be considered a suspect." Malcolm opened the drawer and took the dagger in his hand. He turned to Oliver again. His son had placed an arrow with red fletching on his bow. He held it in rest, but he could easily shoot the arrow within a second and still hit the intended target. Malcolm's dagger could not change that; if he tried anything or not, the arrow would be faster. Malcolm placed the dagger back in the still opened drawer.

"If you are going to kill me, you might as well tell me why I need to die." There was not a hint of fear in his voice or stature. He did not raise his hands as to surrender, but he clasped his hands together and let them rest on his stomach, staring at Oliver with curiosity.

"The Reich needs a leader," Oliver said. "It needs a strict and relentless ruler. A man who makes ruthless split-second decisions, who can keep our values. They may turn to you."

"And you don't want to have to compete with me," Malcolm correctly guessed. Oliver had always been competitive and ambitious. He always wanted to be the fastest, the first, the best of the very best. His ambitions were all tied to 'reach for the sky and climb the social ladder as quickly as he possibly could'. He already married an extremely powerful Kryptonian not too long ago, which only added to his prestige. Only one more thing could make him more powerful: to become the Führer.

"It's nothing personal," Oliver said. Malcolm disagreed.

"I don't recommend you taking this course of action," Malcolm warned. "There will be consequences."

"Would you become the Führer if the people asked?"

If the people insisted that Malcolm Merlyn should be their new Führer, then Malcolm – as a loyal citizen of the Reich – would serve his country by accepting the leadership position and ruling to the best of his abilities. His silence answered the question perfectly and Oliver breathed.

Malcolm shook his head once. Today's events could have been prevented if the Führer had married and had children. Yet, he decided not to marry and not to adopt any children. He did not even name a successor; his death had seemed so far away, he had not thought of legally naming a successor. And now, Oliver threatened to kill Merlyn.

"Do you want to be sure of the position?" Malcolm said. "Fine. Kill me, then. I thought that by now, you would have realized your actions have far-reaching consequences.

Oliver was taken aback by Malcolm's unwillingness to fight back. It stood against everything Malcolm was as a person; a fighter who kept death at an arm's length away from him. Oliver frowned suspiciously at his surrogate father.

"What are you planning, Malcolm?"

Malcolm took a step closer to Oliver, who raised his bow and aimed at Malcolm's chest. Malcolm was not the least bit intimidated by the threats?

"If you kill me, you destroy your relationship with Tommy and Thea. You kill your dignity. And one day, it will come back to bite you in the ass."

The rewards far outweighed the risks. If the news leaked, Oliver could always make up a story to draw his best friend back to his side. Thea would be much harder to convince. If everything went according to plan, nobody would know. He would not have to give up his dignity.

"Farewell, Malcolm."

Oliver released the arrow. Malcolm did not try to block it and it struck him in the best.

* * *

Malcolm was soon found dead. It was a miracle that Tommy found him before Thea did. Tommy called the police, who continued the investigation to find the murderer responsible for both Malcolm Merlyn and the Führer's deaths. The murders were similar enough for him to be called a serial killer in the media. If Thea had found him first, this would have gone differently. She'd have mourned and would have inspected the arrows, only to call the different media and to reveal Oliver had killed the two.

Why would she be so sure Oliver had murdered them when she was not present at the crime scenes, did not see the footage and was not fully aware of Oliver's intentions? Because the man Oliver tried to frame for the murders had spent those days with her.

Oliver attempted to frame Roy Harper, Thea's new bodyguard and companion. He was colloquially known as 'the red archer' by the general public and the media – he had been on a quest to clean the streets of one neighborhood at a time, often also killing police officers or soldiers who planned to do bad things. His MO consisted of using a crossbow to fight crimes he was a witness to and his nickname came from the red fletching on his arrows and his wide array of red jackets. Roy being close to Thea Merlyn-Queen was also a well-known fact, also known to Oliver, who did not like Roy. He had tried to abuse this information to try to frame Roy.

Thea also knew Oliver liked effective kills; he often aimed for the heart or head and rarely missed. They were clean and painless kills, just as he liked it. On the other hand, Roy had not been taught like Oliver. When he would aim for the heart, it would be possible he hit another body part or maybe even completely missed his target. Two arrows to the heart, so close to one another, was not something Roy was known for – but for Oliver, it was easy to be so precise.

Oliver did not fool Tommy either. Oliver did convince him that Malcolm would have been a bad Führer, led by emotions and feelings instead of logic, and Tommy agreed. He never fully forgave Oliver for this act but was never strong enough to oppose his close friend. Tommy mourned his father and moved on with Oliver.

A week after the murders, Oliver stepped up and proclaimed himself as the new Führer – nobody else had dared to come forward and nobody had asked him to take the job yet. Oliver had grown impatient and took matters into his own hands. The people happily accepted Oliver as their Führer and Kara as his consort. They were convinced Oliver would rule justly – or what counted as 'just' in the New Reich doctrine – and fiercely supported him.

One of the first things Oliver did was to name Roy the prime suspect in the murders of Malcolm Merlyn and their previous Führer. It would discredit Roy, should he speak up, and it would turn the public's opinion on him. Thea did not like the accusation, but people tended to believe their Führer over his little half-sister.

The second thing he did was to visit Thea's apartment to collect Roy Harper and to escort him to the nearest prison camp personally.

* * *

Oliver arrived at Thea's apartment. Thea already awaited him in her living room, sitting on the couch, and she glared daggers at him – if looks could kill, Oliver would drop dead three times over.

"Where is he?" Oliver asked, looking around for any sign of Roy Harper he could find. Thea stood up.

"Oliver!" How dare he burst into her apartment! She would have liked him knocking on the door, but he had not done even that. He did not come completely unannounced, but he was most unwanted at the moment.

Oliver walked up to Thea and looked at her as he would at a criminal. The intimidation did not work on her.

"Where is he?" Oliver repeated, now in a more threatening tone and a lower voice. Thea did not break eye contact and she folded her arms.

"He's not here," she said defiantly. Frustrated, Oliver looked away from her, but he did hear what followed: "I told him to go somewhere else. I feared for his life, and it seemed I was right."

Oliver glared at her. "He has to come with me."

Thea was not having it. if it were up to her, Oliver would never be in the same room with Roy ever again. Of course, he did bad stuff in his past, but he had also done some good things. He was learning killing New Reich officers was not a good idea, even if they were disloyal. That Oliver tried to push Roy forward as the primary suspect was an insult to the progress he was making. She was not going to doom Roy's future.

"He doesn't need to do anything," Thea responded. "He did not kill them."

"You have seen the evidence." Oliver's tone suggested he grew more frustrated with Thea's opposition and defiance. "He has to pay the price for his actions."

That was when Thea lost it.

"You are such a bastard!" she yelled in his face. It must have been a relief to shout this, but Oliver did not like her behavior.

"Excuse me?" Oliver said in an offended tone.

"The Führer did not need to die," Thea said through gritted teeth. "Dad didn't need to die."

Even though she already got this off her chest, she could not throw in his face what she knew: 'you killed them, Oliver'. It would only piss him off even more and since he already proved himself capable of killing his surrogate father, he may not have any qualms about killing his sister, too. The one comfort she could find was that people would believe something was off when she died.

"The Führer was a senile man who struggled to remember which day of the week it was," Oliver said. "He was not able to do his job anymore and something needed to be done about it."

"Why did you have to kill dad?" Thea then asked. It wasn't as bad as straight up telling him – it was a question, one Oliver had to answer. Much to her surprise, he hesitated and a shameful look came to his face. it may look heartfelt and real, but to Thea, it did not feel genuine.

"He… I went to his office," Oliver began his story. "I told him I wanted to be the Führer, but he did not agree with it. He also wanted to be the Führer."

She wanted to believe it. She truly did. But she knew Oliver and Malcolm; her father had not actively wanted the job and probably did not speak the way Oliver described it. Oliver was smart enough to construct a plausible lie. The truth would be forever buried if it meant that Oliver would come out looking better.

"Liar," she said. But he continued as if Thea had not said anything.

"I wanted to explain a younger person was more resilient and could rule longer and that the public may not like having to say goodbye to another Führer in thirty years, but he attacked. I acted in self-defense." Oliver paused. "I didn't want to kill him. But he gave me no choice. I do regret it had to end like this."

No. Oliver had not acted in self-defense, and the events had not happened the way Oliver described it. Oliver didn't regret killing Malcolm, he only regretted Malcolm had to die to achieve his goals. Human life could be thrown away if it threatened his position or if they had served his purpose.

She did not want to be one of the people complying to his needs.

"Get out." That was when Oliver knew he had lost Thea. Yet that did not mean he was going to give up on her or her support.

"Thea—"

"Get out of my house," she said, raising her voice and she pointed at the door. Oliver did not say another word and walked to the door. This was the last time either of them had a proper look at their sibling, and they caught the other looking angrily and disappointed. This was not how Oliver thought it was supposed to go, but it is history now.

Oliver left without Roy Harper. He decided no to further look for the man, to appease Thea. Malcolm had been right about one thing: Oliver no longer had a friendly relationship with Thea and he never would mend this relationship.

Afterward, Oliver and Thea rarely spoke to each other and Tommy had to act as a mediator between the siblings. Thea legally changed her name to Thea Merlyn, dropping the 'Queen' to erase her ties to Oliver. She no longer wanted to be connected to him and wanted her name to reflect it. Oliver did not fight her decisions; many sources said he was glad he did not have to fight with his sister.

The disconnection did not impede Oliver's ability to rule the New Reich.


	29. A woman's heart

Tommy had never doubted the Führer, whether it be an old man or his best friend. For the past two years, Oliver had been a great Führer. He doubled efforts to defeat the rebels. He appointed his wife as the General. Many of their former classmates would be a part of the New Reichsmen, a new division of specialists lead by Overgirl as well.

Tommy was a member of this task force as well and he was proud of it. On the flip side, he barely saw Thea and Oliver anymore. They both stayed at home in Star City while Tommy as Prometheus crossed the country in search for the rebels. He did stay in contact with both.

Tommy's faith never wavered. That is, until the stranger from Earth-1 arrived.

Tommy had only met this man once. He was as fast as Blitzkrieg with the face of the late Harrison Wells, who had died during the particle accelerator explosion a few years ago. He seemed to have a plan, one the Führer was interested in. Because of his close relationship with Oliver, Tommy was able to attend the meetings even though he was a foot soldier compared to the Dark Arrow and Overgirl.

This man called himself Eobard Thawne and he told tales of this other Earth: of the heroes of that world, a heinous world where the First Führer died in 1945 and the enemy won. The other Oliver was the mayor of Star City and an archer, Tommy had passed away already and Kara did not even exist. Yet, they knew of one 'Supergirl' from Earth-38 that often crossed over to Earth-1 whenever they needed her help.

Kara and Oliver asked the most important questions. Though Eobard claimed he often only had minimal contact with the people they asked about, he knew a lot about those people. While Kara and Oliver wanted to know about everything, Tommy remained silent and listened.

Eobard suggested using the thing the Freedom Fighters were working on – a portal that Oliver secured a month ago – to visit Earth-1 once they figured out how to operate it. With Eobard's help, it would only be a matter of time before they came to Earth-1 and do whatever their hearts desired.

Oliver and Kara were on board; Tommy, however, was skeptical. Yes, the good guys lost over there, but that was the only reasonable explanation for wanting to go there – to bring culture to the heathens. But how could they bring culture when their own Earth wasn't even completely subjected to the right ideology? North Korea was untouchable, Australia kept thwarting their plans and the Africans, of all people, were acting out. Tommy thought it was a good idea, but if they were going to fix another world, they first needed to fix their own.

Oliver and Kara did not see his concerns. They planned an invasion within two months, after that world's wedding of the century. This was the wedding of Barry Allen and Iris West. Many of Earth-1's heroes – as well as the Kara from 38 – were in the same place. It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Thawne was happy his plans came to fruition. There may have been other reasons for his happiness, but I did not know him and I did not get to meet him, either. When asking the Freedom Fighters about it, they did not have a clear answer. We can only assume he was glad to have found an Earth with a world view that seamlessly fit with his own.

(It has come to my attention that Harrison Wells' face has many variations and many of the different Wells' seem to be familiar to the Earth-1 heroes. I feel the need to confirm that I am not a Harrison Wells of any size, shape or form. I am my own person, trying to find a place in this world that seemed clear and simple before. I did meet one of my doppelgangers at one point in my life, but I am no Wells.)

Through this turn of events, Tommy came to doubt his leader for the first time. He had many thoughts he dared not voice. They were rushing into this decision. While they would be on Earth-1, who would rule here? Were any New Reichsmen coming, and how many? Most importantly, would this not give the Freedom Fighters the biggest chance to fight back and take over their beautiful country?

But he could not keep his thoughts to himself. he needed to tell Oliver.

* * *

Tommy arrived at the penthouse Oliver had been living in since he became Führer. As a close friend of the Führer's, Tommy was free to enter the house as he pleased. The guards, who only were there for show and to make sure Oliver didn't have to worry about petty criminals, let him enter without having to identify himself. Tommy easily walked into the office where Oliver worked on the weekends.

The door was open and Oliver was looking over some documents. Tommy knocked on the doorframe to draw Oliver's attention. It worked; the Führer lifted his head and a smile appeared when he noticed his honorary brother.

"Hi, Tommy," he said. Tommy nodded, a smile coming to his face, too.

"Hi," he said. It was a short greeting, unlike what he used to greet Oliver with. This detail did not go unnoticed.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked. Tommy took a short breath.

"I don't think it would benefit us to go to that other Earth," Tommy said confidently, his eyes on Oliver, hoping he wouldn't be too critical of Tommy's critical thinking. The mood in the room changed, as if the temperature dropped a few grades. Oliver's gaze was not particularly kind or angry, but it was indifferent while he tried to decide what to say next.

"Are you doubting your Führer?" A female voice said from behind Tommy. When he heard that voice, his body tensed up and stress rushed through his body. The General. He turned around and saw her standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame and staring intensely at Tommy while she awaited his answer.

"Never," Tommy said. "I just do not think it would be beneficiary—"

Kare leaped forward, ready to grab Tommy and potentially throw him out of the window. Tommy took a couple of steps backward and braced for Kryptonian's impending attack. Before she could lay a hand on him, however, Oliver stopped her.

"Kara," the Führer said. Kara stopped, her hand only one inch away from him. Tommy's breathing did not return to normal until Kara backed away from him. Tommy turned to Oliver and had wanted to thank him more than giving him a nod, but the words were stuck in his throat.

"Explain," Oliver said. Tommy nodded and proceeded to talk. He sounded determined about his beliefs and seemed to not want to compromise them.

"I'm all for going to this other Earth and bring them our culture. I just don't think this is the right time. Yes, we are powerful, so why aren't we putting the effort in capturing Australia? Why not silence the African and South-American troublemakers?" Tommy paused to give it a dramatic effect. "That Earth? It's not going anywhere. Once our world is free of rebels, we could always focus on the other one."

Oliver still had not decided how to feel about Tommy's objections. In contrast to this, the General was not pleased with his explanation. She had folded her arms while he spoke and had glared at him. Tommy glanced at her from time to time, terrified that she 'accidentally' hit him with her heat vision.

In a surprising turn of events, she turned her head to her husband.

"You didn't tell him?" she asked him. Oliver shook his head once.

"I didn't want to worry him." The Führer stood up from his desk and walked to his wife. This way, they would stand together when they told Tommy this one thing they hadn't told him yet.

"What are you talking about?" Tommy looked at the couple in confusion, though he primarily watched Oliver. They were best friends; he knew almost all of the secrets of the New Reich – the ones he did not know about were kept from him because Kara did not want Tommy to know. So, what was that thing the General wanted him to be aware of?

"We're not only going to that Earth to conquer it," Kara said. The statement on its own puzzled Tommy even more. Luckily, there was a follow-up.

"Kara needs a new heart," Oliver said. the words resonated within Tommy's mind. For a few moments, he could not think about he was physically unable to react to the news.

"W-What?" He still hadn't quite processed it. The General needs a new heart. How long did she still have? What was the cause of this? "How is this—?" But she's Kryptonian. Human hearts would be too weak for someone like her. Even if they did find the perfect heart, they would not be able to transplant it because her skin had become impenetrable under the yellow sun. After years on Earth, it may be hard to extract all that radiation from her.

"Like Icarus, I flew too close to the sun," Kara stated. She did often fly instead of taking the car, especially in the last few years. People would be reminded of her existence; she saw and heard everything from up there and took charge when needed. She also loved flying and attacking her enemies from above; the one thing natural to her nobody else could, too. Metahuman physiology only allowed for one set of powers stemming from one primary change, while Kara could fly and do anything else at the same time.

"The solar radiation is slowly killing her," Oliver elaborated, so Tommy was caught up with the diagnosis. "We tried everything to fix her, but nothing worked."

"Until Thawne suggested to transplant a heart and that it would solve the problem," Kara continued. Tommy nodded once. Right. Thawne. The one man he had hoped would stay away from the General and her health.

"Are you sure he's not just saying things that'll get you on board with invading that Earth?" Tommy wondered out loud. For all they knew, Eobard could be lying about everything: about the solution to Kara's problem; about the existence of the other Kara Danvers. Who knows, maybe the man fled his Earth after he failed to conquer it and he was now trying to get rid of the current New Reich authorities so that he could take over once the Führer and his wife were left dead on foreign soil.

"He was being sincere," Oliver said. It did not soothe Tommy's mind. Nobody would be able to change his opinion on the flashy new speedster who raced into their world and miraculously gave them the solution to a problem he should not have had a direct answer to.

"Does that answer satisfy you?" Kara asked. She and her husband watched Tommy expectantly. He took his time to think of the right ways to explain his beliefs to them without giving them the urge to either throw him out of the window or to send him away.

"I don't trust Thawne. I don't like his plan," he began carefully. The couple waited patiently for the second part of his statement. Tommy sighed. "But if it will give my General a chance at a longer life, I will gladly follow you."

Screw Thawne if he had lied. Still, there was a chance that he hadn't – if that was true, they should at least try to make sure Overgirl would get her new heart.

"Thank you for your support," Oliver said. Both him and Kara smiled in approval. Tommy nodded confidently. He just wished everything they had planned out would go according to plan. Either way, Tommy would consider it a success if Thawne did not screw them over.


	30. Opportunities

Nothing of note happened until that faithful day – the day the downfall of the New Reich was officially set in motion. Führer Queen, General Danvers, Tommy Merlyn, and Eobard Thawne – along with every soldier they believed they would need – crossed over to Earth-1 to retrieve Kara's donor heart, fresh from the chest of Kara-38, with an added opportunity to kill Earth-1's heroes.

Thea Merlyn stayed at home with Roy. Before they left, Oliver had asked her if she wanted to come along. She refused and did not want to lend her companion to her brother's quest either; Roy Harper stayed with her. When this was settled, Oliver tasked her with taking over some duties for him while he was away.

She did not become any kind of interim-Führerin. Oliver was still in power and called the shots, he only had been thoughtful enough to allow Thea to take over all his paperwork in his absence. Even though she did not like Oliver, she agreed to do his administration work. She now had access to sensitive and classified information, though it wasn't as much as she would have liked.

Oliver would have told you he and Thea parted on semi-good terms; he would have told you their relationship was mending. Thea would like you to believe the truth was different. In her eyes, nothing had changed. Her motivations were purely political and for personal gain, not to do her half-brother a favor.

While she worked, two devices stood on Thea's desk. These devices tracked the heartbeats of both Tommy Merlyn and Oliver Queen, wherever they would be. Kara would have had a device as well, if her skin weren't impenetrable and if she hadn't refused to have something implanted in her body. The purpose was simple: if either of her brothers' heartbeats stopped, the device would beep and emit some red light.

Thea did not pay attention to it too much. She was confident in them and believed they would not die on that other Earth if it wasn't on their terms. She did not even consider that they could be taken captive by the enemy. The best proof of the devices working even at such a distance was their calmness – they did not go crazy because they could not detect a heartbeat on this Earth, so they still lived. Nothing to worry about.

Not even two days into their campaign, one of the devices beeped and shone the red light. It startled Thea and she looked at the labeled devices. Tommy Merlyn, Prometheus, died a hopefully heroic death in a foreign land.

Naturally, Thea mourned. The next day, she officially announced his death through the usual media channels and threw together a tribute. There were plans to add his grave to the family mausoleum, even if they had no body to bury. His name and moniker would forever be remembered, his legacy was his life as a loyal New Reichsman, an expert fighter who died too young and who fought against the enemy until they overwhelmed him in numbers and brutally murdered him. He died a martyr and would be remembered as such.

This needs to be contrasted with a source from Earth-1, who did speak the truth. Prometheus, the General, and the Führer had interrupted the wedding of Barry Allen and Iris West. The Earth-1 heroes fought and managed to take Prometheus captive. While in custody, Tommy chose to kill himself with the cyanide tooth rather than to stay alive and be tortured by the enemy. According to Earth-X standards, it was still an honorable death, but it was nothing like Thea had described.

At a later time during the conquest, she learned some of the enemies were transferred to the concentration camp that was the closest to Star City. Thea could not communicate with Oliver about the decision because while he had transferred the prisoners, he had chosen to stay in that world. Thea could not complain – she'd rather he had killed the prisoners in their world instead of keeping them alive in a camp, even with the power dampening collars.

Yet, Thea knew her brother. Oliver wanted to show off and consolidate morale and his power. This action resulted in their escape from the concentration camp and them returning home with the help of the rebels. Thea was glad the prisoners decided to go back home; she had not wanted to deal with that with while she was running the New Reich for her brother.

She would later regret not doing more to make sure these prisoners more easily returned to their world, or to kill them when she had the chance. A day or two after the prisoners had returned home, nobody from Earth-X had come back yet, but the device tracking Oliver's heartbeat lit up red.

Unlike with Tommy's death, she did not share this news with the New Reich just yet. Telling the people meant admitting Oliver had failed to conquer Earth-1 and that their Führer had been killed during the first week of the conquest. The people would panic, rebels would rise and chaos would be everywhere. She was the closest thing the New Reich had to an acting Führer and she would not have it fall apart under her rule.

Only when the Freedom Fighters started to suspect the Führer, the General, and anyone who had joined them, were not coming back and when they attacked a government institution without receiving death threats from Oliver did Thea decide to share the news.

She had prepared a speech in which she twisted the facts. Oliver did not officially die during the first week, but only four days ago. At that time, it was a month after they had left. He had died protecting his dear wife, who had been brutally murdered by her 'evil' counterpart. Thea continued to villainize the Earth-38 Supergirl, using words I will not repeat here. She was only telling them now because she had tried to find the most sensitive way to share the news. A couple of years ago, they already had lost a beloved Führer, and Oliver was shaping up to be even more popular. Since Oliver had given her the administration work, she proclaimed that she would continue Oliver's legacy and become the Führerin, because it is what he would have wanted.

During the next week, she dissuaded her possible competitors from not running for Führer – not by threats of violence, but by threats of their secrets being made public. As such, her possible opponents stayed quiet.

One person did not comply and spoke out. He was not intimidated by Thea's implied ruthlessness and as far as Thea was aware, he had no specific secrets to explore. His father had kept secrets, but Ray did not shy away from revealing them all and acknowledged any harm they did. In the same breath, Ray mentioned changing the Reich's structure to make sure every citizen had an equal chance of living up to their potential. He also was the only one not willing to back down because she happened to be Oliver Queen's sister.

Thea Merlyn's opponent for the title of Führer was Raymond Palmer. And according to the public, both were a good candidate for the title.


	31. Part III: Palmer and Lance families

We will now move on to the third part of this book, which will detail the life of Dr. Raymond Palmer and his family. As you previously learned, he vied for the title of Führer against Thea Merlyn in his later life. He truly believed he was the best candidate for the job. The people of the city seemed to agree, and even Thea had stated at one point that Ray would make a fine leader. From this point forward, you will learn where this ambition comes from.

This part will not just detail the most important events in the life of Ray Palmer, but also those of the Lance family. Throughout this part, you will learn why I am including some moments in the lives of the Lance family.

These families may not be as intrinsically tied to one another as the Merlyn and Queen families were. Yet, as unlikely as it is, these families greatly impacted one another. You might say the fates of these families were interwoven from the moment Ray Palmer met the Canary. I would like to remind my readers that this is not a fictionalized version of the truth. While I had to try to reconstruct the exact line of events, everything you will read has happened. Just as I could count on Thea's cooperation for the previous part, this part heavily relies on the accounts given by Quentin Lance, the Siren and Ray Palmer himself, in addition to some footage that I could access.

Half of the chapters will deal with the Palmer family, while the other half will focus on the Lance family. Some chapters may be disturbing due to its content. Though nobody will take their own lives, vile actions were taken and I will notify you when those actions take place.


	32. Warning from the future

We start this story with the Palmer family. You may expect this to start with Ray's first day of school but this is not where we need to begin. Before Ray was born, something else occurred that would change his life forever.

Ray Palmer granted me access to the security tapes that recorded what happened five months before he was born. It surprised me neither he nor his father had deleted the footage, but Ray explained it as: "I can at least watch my father make a good decision."

Upon review, I believe Dr. David Palmer had not immediately made his decision, though I can see why Ray would believe this; it seems easy to interpret what exactly happened. Similarly, I do not know what Dr. Palmer and his visitor were thinking and the audio often is not good, but I will do my best to objectively report on what happened.

Dr. David Palmer sat in his office, probably to finish some work, when a strange man entered his office. The man wore a brown trench-coat and seemed to be in a hurry – so much so that he sprinted into the room without knocking or properly closing the door.

David was prepared for every situation. Without batting an eye, he jumped up and aimed his gun at the invader.

"Get the hell out of my office!" David may have shot the man if he had not been in such a good mood that evening. Why he was in a good mood, we may never know.

"I'm sorry, I needed to come by." The stranger spoke in a British accent and panted. "I do not have much time."

David moved closer to the strange man, all the while keeping his aim steady.

"Get out _now_ or I'm calling security. Piss me off and I'll shoot."

"I'm from the future," the invader blurted out. They were the right words for this situation. For two moments, David did not move. He then lowered the gun, though he was still wary of the strange Brit.

"Speak," he said. "You have one chance."

"My name is Rip Hunter," the supposed time-traveler said. "I was born in the 22nd century and I belong to a group called the Time Masters. We protect the timeline." He spoke as if it was clear as day.

I looked into time travel. From my research, I learned the Time Masters indeed protect the timeline, though they take a minimalistic approach and attempt to minimally interfere in events, only showing up to set history back on the right track.

"Why should I believe you?" David asked. He had not yet lowered his gun. It sat comfortably in his hand, the gun's barrel pointed at Ray and ready to fire if this Rip turned out not to be trustworthy.

Though the question did not seem that difficult, Rip needed a little time to come up with a good answer. "Your son… you haven't decided on a name yet. I believe he will be called Ray."

This was true. David did not like to give away the name of his child before it was born; it was seen as a miracle that the newspapers reported the gender and that David allowed them to print it. At that moment in time, only David and his wife knew the name they wanted to give their son. In conclusion, this was the perfect way to gain David's trust.

Dr. Palmer placed the gun on his desk without taking his eyes off of the time-traveler, whom he eyed with interest.

"what are you here for?"

"To give you this." Rip approached the scientist and handed him a small piece of paper. While David read it, Rip took a few steps backwards to keep a respectable distance. "These people will become the biggest nuisances to the New Reich. To be more precise, they all either directly or indirectly influence the fall of the New Reich.

The piece of paper contained five names, written in neat handwriting. The names were never revealed during the conversation itself and Dr. Palmer kept the paper out of reach. Yet, we know those people were Nathaniel Heywood, Mari McCabe, Carter Hall, Rory Regan, and Kendra Saunders. One was a meta, two of them had access to specialized or magical gear, while the other two were two reincarnated powerful Egyptians. David did not know all of this information when he read the names, for he only had access to the names.

"The Reich cannot fall," David said, parroting one of the first things children learn in Kindergarten. The Reich cannot fall, for it is glorious and large. There are more cringe-worthy lines like that, but since they are irrelevant, I will not include them here.

"But it did," Rip said. "A 'free America' came to Europe and eventually killed the German Führer, ending an era." The Time Master sat down in one of the chairs. "My parents were loyalists in a changed England. They taught me the same values your father had taught you. These people…" he glanced at the piece of paper. "If they are kept in line, the Reich may not fall."

"Are you certain?" David asked. Rip nodded.

"Without them, nobody in the Reich will be brave enough," he responded. History has already proven this statement is untrue, though it could be possible the rebels had waited longer to attack without these five people, who were not even born at the time of this meeting.

"If I deal with this, the future changes," David said. He had taken his time to think about the implications and the consequences of this conversation or his future actions. "This isn't the natural course of time."

"Of course it is not," Rip said. "If it were, the Reich will fall in twenty years or even less. I'm giving you a once-in-a-lifetime chance to keep this nation great. do you accept this offer?"

David did not hesitate. "I do."

"Good." Rip nodded in approval. "I will see the good results with my own eyes."

The time traveler stood up and walked to the door. Before he left the office, he turned to Dr. Palmer one last time. "I don't believe we will see each other again."

We do not know what happened to Rip Hunter after his superiors discovered this action, but it is safe to assume his superiors had punished him.

"Thank you for the opportunity," David said.

"Once in a lifetime, Dr. Palmer," Rip responded. "Make it count."

This was the last time Dr. David Palmer and Rip Hunter spoke to one another. Rip Hunter walked out of the room while David sat down behind the desk and read the note again.

It is not known why Rip Hunter chose David Palmer to alter the timeline. If you wanted to make sure some people would never do what they were originally supposed to do, I would think you would contact the Führer and let him know about the different threats.

On the other hand, giving the note to someone who is part of the regime, but who wasn't that close to the Führer or on his staff, the time traveler had made certain that his plan would be harder to detect. The Führer may have immediately killed these five while they were babies, which Rip's organization would most likely notice. Giving the note to David – in the case that he went about things discretely – made it harder for the Time Masters to locate who Rip had given instructions to, though they would know it when David killed the give.

I cannot tell you how the history of this country would have looked like if Rip Hunter had not intervened. I can only say the events in which Nathaniel Heywood, Mari McCabe, Rory Regan, Kendra Saunders, and Carter Hall participated, were a part of an alternate history now, one I do not know of. Given that I do not have enough information about this alternate history, I will not discuss it any further.

I can speak of the history of the new timeline – of our current timeline. I believe David at first did decide he would kill the children as he found them, but that he later changed his mind. He may have reasoned that if these people were truly the downfall of the New Reich, he could try to find them so that he could adopt them. When these children learn from birth that the New Reich is a glorious state, they may be less inclined to destroy it. This method did work.

I can say with certainty that only Mari McCabe would actively help the rebels in their efforts. Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall were killed by a man named Vandal Savage, while Nathaniel Heywood and Rory Regan were loyal sons who became great assets to the New Reich.

You can see why this event would come to impact Ray's life. While he would have most likely been an only child in the alternate history, he now had three brothers to play and fight with. It may have only given him a different perspective of life at best, but it does change how he grew up and how he was raised, which makes it an important change.


	33. Started from the bottom

Now we will take a look at the beginnings of the Lance family.

This family could not be more different from the Palmer family at this point in time. They did not have a large sum of money to start with and neither did they have a big house in the nicer part of town. The only similarity with the Palmer family was the love they had for one another, even if that love was not always visible.

Quentin Lance had grown up believing he would always be stuck in the same financial situation. Born into poverty, he beat the odds to become a police officer. He was not paid very well since he was only at the start of his career in one of the most underfunded police stations of Star City, but it was better than the poverty his parents could not escape. At the same time, he met his now ex-wife.

Meeting Dinah was finding a saving grace. He fell head over heels in love with her and she fell just as hard for him. They had two beautiful daughters together, Laurel and Sara, before Dinah left. Though Quentin does not know why she wanted the divorce, it is now known Dinah had met a veteran who fought in Argentina and fell in love all over again. She divorced him but did not take away the girls at Quentin's request. She used to come over from time to time, but even that faded after a while.

She left them, and as such, they lost an important source of income. His meager paycheck was barely enough – combined with the little alimentation, he was just able to raise two girls to have at the very least a decent life. For financial reasons, they moved into a smaller apartment closer to Quentin's work to save money. Quentin was still a rather proud man and did not want to be dependent on Dinah's money. He'd rather make his own money, though he accepted the alimentation.

Still, this mentality pushed him and his girls in the financial situation he was born into. His next paycheck could never come fast enough and he did everything he could to get the next promotion to earn more money. This way, he hoped he could afford to send Laurel and Sara to a good school, so they would have a good education and escape this cycle of poverty.

But fate worked in mysterious ways. Within one week, the lives of Quentin and his daughters were drastically changed.

"Dad! Laurel broke the mirror."

Not knowing the context or the circumstances, Quentin did not like the news. There was only one mirror in the apartment and he did not know if he had the money to replace it. he hadn't heard anything coming from the bathroom, but Laurel had shouted. The situation did strike him as odd – he would have expected Sara to break something instead of Laurel.

Quentin rose from the rundown couch to inspect the damage. Whatever he had expected, he was perplexed when he opened the bathroom door.

The bathroom was a mess. Glass shards were scattered across the ground. The girls sat in the bathtub, the only place not covered in shards. Where the mirror had hung against the wall, there was some damage as well. It was as if Laurel had taken a hammer and hit the wall in a regular circular pattern after destroying the mirror to create a circle of indented tiles. They did not own anything that could have caused that kind of damage.

Laurel did not just 'break' that mirror.

Before he said anything about the situation, he rescued the girls from the bathroom. He was still wearing his shoes, but he still tried to step in the spots that had the least shards. He separately picked up Laurel and Sara and carried them out of the bathroom.

"What happened here?" Quentin asked.

"Laurel yelled and broke the mirror," Sara said. "It was very loud."

"I didn't mean to do it," Laurel said in her defense. "I'll buy a new one."

"It's okay," Quentin said, pulling his daughter into a hug. "You don't have to pay it back."

At this point, Laurel was six years old. During this event, the sisters and their father learned that Laurel was a natural-born meta.

Quentin did not waste time to register her. A natural-born meta in the family may save them from poverty – she could be asked to study at the Academy at the New Reich's expense – even if it cost a lot to register your child in the town hall. You had to pay the full price upfront and specify the powers. Later that week, an officer would come by to verify whether she was a meta and to give a detailed report on the displayed power set. If Laurel failed to properly show off her powers, she would be taken off the list of registered metas. Quentin would not be reimbursed for his 'mistake'; he would lose the money.

Laurel had accompanied her father to the town hall that day and she already felt the pressure of having to perform. There was one setback to this: Laurel did not want to break anything else and she was genuinely terrified of screaming loud enough to break something beyond repair. She spoke about it to Sara and her little sister tried to make Laurel feel comfortable in using her powers, even if it did not help.

Three days later, the New Reich officer visited to inspect the claim that Quentin had made. It was a Saturday, so both the Lance sisters were at home. The unnamed officer sat in a chair and stared at the girls, which made them feel uncomfortable. At the same time, Quentin lined up three glasses on the dining table. These were three of the four glasses they owned.

Quentin sat down on the couch next to his daughters and gave the reigns to the officer, who leaned in closer to Laurel.

"Go on, little girl," he said, "Show me what you can do."

Laurel stood up and looked at the glasses. She took a couple of deep breaths, but in the end, she was too scared and did not scream. She had wasted five minutes of the officer's time like this. The officer grew impatient and stood up to leave when Sara stepped in.

"Wait!" she said, "she really can scream loudly. You need to see this."

Not waiting to hear the officer's answer, Sara turned to Laurel. "You won't hurt us. We're far enough away. Dad will buy new glasses."

Sara's enthusiasm and support motivated Laurel enough to try to break the glasses, but only if everyone stayed behind her so they wouldn't be hurt. The officer, Quentin, and Sara moved to stand behind her, and Laurel took another breath.

And she screamed.

It was the most amazing and painful thing Quentin had ever seen or heard. Laurel screamed at such a high frequency, the glasses broke almost immediately and the wall behind it indented even before the table slammed into it. Laurel's witnesses had to cover their ears, for the noise was so deafening and hurtful.

When the silence returned, their ears were ringing. Quentin was shocked at the full extent of his little girl's talent and Sara grinned widely, happy for her sister. Laurel herself was elated, though she could not help but feel bad for damaging the wall and the glasses and for her dad, who had to cover all of the reparation costs.

The officer was impressed and wrote a glowing report. Laurel was officially a registered meta-human.

* * *

A letter arrived in Quentin's mailbox a week after the officer evaluated Laurel's powers. It came from the New Reich.

Quentin trembled as he read it. The report had given such a positive and powerful look at what Laurel was capable of, that the New Reich wanted to make a deal with them. The Reich was aware of Quentin's financial problems and mercilessly played into this to get their way. His daughters would be allowed to attend one of the better _Grundschulen_ of Star City. When they reached the appropriate age, they would attend the Academy. The biggest advantage of this deal: the New Reich was not only willing to pay for Laurel's education but for Sara's as well. Quentin would now have to pay a dime for his daughters' educations.

The New Reich made him a second offer in the same letter. Because of an illness in the family, Quentin couldn't continue his military career past the mandatory year. The New Reich would set this right by allowing him to join the military again. They would pay for the military course as well. But the New Reich would not give him bonuses nor would they relocate him for his new job. Quentin would have to work as a soldier to eventually afford a home that would fit his new social status.

That same night, he woke the girls and told them the good news. Both girls could not have been happier with the decision of the New Reich. They would start their education at their new school the next Monday, while Quentin's re-schooling would start next month, which was still twelve days away.

Quentin failed to realize the manipulative nature of this offer. The girls would be raised in an environment with a little more propaganda and less resistance. Quentin himself would be 're-educated', too, into a loyal soldier who would never question the entity that brought him and his daughters the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, I do not blame them for making this decision. I do blame the New Reich for using these techniques on people who may have become decent people without the Reich's interference.


	34. First glances

The following Monday, Dr. Palmer would send his older sons to the Academy to be trained by the best teachers the Reich had to offer, both in the academic as military study fields. His only biological son had no military aspirations whatsoever, but David tolerated his decision. David himself never was a soldier for longer than the mandatory year of military service, but he did serve as an engineer for five years. He believed Ray would take a similar route when he was old enough.

Back then, none of the additional Palmer brothers knew the true reasons behind their adoption. Still, they were glad to know they had found a new, loving family, often following a traumatic experience.

Barry and Nate are from the same year as Ray, while Rory was two years younger. The age gap did not matter, because their bond was extremely strong. For all they knew, they could have actually been related.

We already know during which circumstances Barry Allen was adopted into the family. What I did not mention before was Dr. Palmer's motivation. He adopted Mr. Allen purely so that nobody who had a copy of the list he had received would think he was crossing names off said list. He had no intention of adopting Barry Allen in particular; any boy would have done it. Still, fate worked in a funny way, and so he adopted Barry, a natural-born meta who took a long time to discover his incredible speed.

Let's move on to the boys from the list. Nathaniel Heywood was rescued first. He was born into the wealthy Heywood family. The last name had seemed familiar to Dr. Palmer when he first took a look at the list. There were no monetary connections between the Heywood family and the government, but the family lived peacefully and donated enough money to the right good causes to be in good standing with the New Reich government, despite a lack of personal connection. Taking Nate out of that environment without sparking some kind of backlash would be tricky.

Dr. Palmer sent his security detail to the neighborhood, dressed as something that would pass for a rebel's look. They were only meant to be seen by the Heywood family, so nobody else would know these men were not rebels. They could not be, based on the protective gear and weapons they carried. They broke into the house in the middle of the night without any problems. They killed Hank Heywood and his wife, but they did not kill their child; a three-year-old toddler who largely witnessed the entire thing.

The press easily fell for this ruse. Nathaniel was reportedly kidnapped by these men. Three days later, Dr. Palmer's men had found the toddler and sent in a rescue squad, supposedly not wanting to wait for the Reich to act. The people were glad the toddler was saved and since there was no other family, Dr. Palmer adopted Nathaniel Heywood.

Rory Regan was a little older when they 'saved' him. Unlike Nate, Rory came from a family that fostered not only rebellious thoughts but a rare artifact as well. His father was in the possession of some rags that had magical properties. Rory would inevitably come to inherit them and wreak havoc on the New Reich – at least, that is what David pictured. Rory was harder to find, but David eventually found little Rory at the young age of seven.

Based on the mostly right assumption that his parents were rebels, David used his influence to have the New Reich raid the home. It happened that same week and the parents were arrested. Rory was taken into custody as well. David spent quite some time with the young boy to help him. For a month they tried to convince the young boy that his parents were not coming back (they were sent to work camps) and that they were bad people in general, and not just rebels who wanted to destroy the Reich. Rory eventually left the detention center with David willingly.

This adoption was quieter than Nate's press-wide reporting, but in the end, Rory Regan became a Palmer brother as well.

The three – and later four brothers – grew up together. Since David Palmer insisted that the boys kept their privacy and that the press did not report every little detail, there is not much known about their formative years. Still, I will try to create a picture of the events that we do know of.

* * *

It was Ray's second day at the Academy and he could not wait to see his new classmates again. He would have to share them with Nate and Barry, who also joined his year. Rory was still too young for the Academy, but he would be joining them, too, in two years. But for now, only three Palmer brothers joined the Academy.

The brothers walked onto campus grounds, excited to start the school year. New school, new friends, new opportunities and a gateway to the future. Each one had their dreams and hopes for the future and they knew they were going to get the proper education here to see those dreams come true. The classes would not be difficult, but the classmates would be friends and allies for life and the life skills they learned here would be crucial in life. Who knows, maybe they would meet their future wives at this school as well.

"Hey, watch it!" Nate exclaimed. A girl had bumped into him, probably by accident. She was quick to turn at him and glare.

"Well, I'm sorry," she said in quite a brutal tone. She must have woken up grumpy. The girl next to her, probably her sister, called her name to remind her they were not supposed to pick fights with the rich people. Ray heard it, too – her name was Sara.

"Nate, calm down," Barry said to defuse the situation, looking at Nate. Nate turned his back to the girl, rolling his eyes and not sparing her and her sister another thought. Barry then looked at Sara.

"I'm sorry about him," Barry told her, "he's a little brass sometimes."

"I can see that," she responded. The brutality in her voice had disappeared. "It's nice meeting you."

Sara's sister called her name again and the two girls walked away from the Palmer brothers. Nate turned around again to watch the girls leave alongside his two brothers. Nate felt nothing but disdain and pity for them – they looked like the kind of people the government saved from poverty and whose insecurities acted up each time they interacted with someone they did not know yet. Barry thought the same, but he did not see the sisters in a negative light at all. Ray's mind, however, was somewhere else entirely.

"She's cute," he said, his gaze still on Sara Lance. She and her sister had joined another girl they must have befriended the day before. This comment immediately was shut down by his adoptive brother.

"You think every girl you meet is cute," Nate responded.

That was true. Ray could not help but notice he thought every girl he met was aesthetically pleasing and even if she wasn't, there would be something else that would make her cute. Not even the 'ugly ones' were ugly in his eyes. His unpopular belief was often met with resistance from both Nate and Barry, though he frequently was supported by Rory.

"Give it a couple of months," Barry said. "By then, you're already over her. She is probably not even interested."

"Or worse," Nate added, "She could be one of those _annoying_ types, y'know." Annoying was, once again, subjective, though the brothers understood what type of people he was referring to – it was not hard to guess which people Nate would think were annoying.

"Luckily she has a sister."

Barry shook his head. "I wouldn't count on it. See? She's fawning over Oliver Queen again." He pointed at the girls. The sister had walked away from Sara and had approached Oliver Queen and acted as if he were a rock-star. He was a rock-star, except that he never bothered to learn how to play an instrument or to sing.

Nate sighed. "Okay, that's it. She's unattainable now." They were no match for the great Oliver Queen. Everyone wanted to be associated with him, whether that be as best friend or girlfriend. Compare that to the Palmer brothers, whose family was less influential than Queen's, and you can see why nobody bothered to look at them twice when they have already met Oliver.

"But Sara's still cute," Ray said. After this comment, he switched to a different topic. He, as well as his brothers, were happy to discuss something else. Though they talked about different subjects, Ray's mind was clearly with the feisty blonde girl who was not afraid to snap back.

She'd be a brilliant soldier.

If he was not mistaken, he had caught her glancing their way. Ray shook his head – it had to be a mistake. She was probably only looking around.

The bell rang and class began. The four class units of the seventh grade were divided yesterday, into two classes of thirteen people and two classes of twelve people. The Palmer brothers had purposefully been separated and spread across three class units. Ray happened to be sorted into the same class unit as Sara Lance.

For the next six years, Ray and Sara shared most of their classes and homework. Ray had chosen the gun as a weapon – even though he was enrolled at the engineering program, the weapons class was mandatory. Sara had decided to go for close-quarter combat and a fighting staff. Ray often stopped his own training to watch Sara train, while Sara would sometimes pause to see Ray hit the bullseye. They never caught each other staring.

After the first month, Ray had managed to turn Sara into one of his best friends and had proved Barry wrong; his affection for this girl had only grown stronger. While Sara did not show any signs of romantic interest in Ray, they both went through puberty. Hormones always changed the way how people behaved around others, including Sara – she had started to confuse her friendly feelings towards Ray for romantic feelings.

Throughout the seventh and eighth grades, they were best friends. This did change eventually; more precisely, at the start of the ninth grade.


	35. Boyfriends

We now discuss a day where Sara and Ray were in the ninth grade, when hormones run rampant and teen drama can no longer be avoided. The only difference was that this was the usual drama you would be familiar with, times ten. It not only pertained to romance and friendships and betrayals but also added the extra added military element, jealousy and peacock behavior. The one at the top of the social hierarchy was usually the one with the most power or the best skills with their weapons.

Of course, Oliver Queen was at the very top of this arbitrary hierarchy. He not only possessed great skills but was not unattractive either. Many girls had fallen in love with him, including Laurel Lance.

Sara had to hear about him every day. Oliver Queen was handsome. Oliver Queen was hot. Look at those muscles, he could kill a man without even using a bow. Sara tolerated her sister doting on the young man. If anything, you could say Sara admired Oliver in the same way Laurel did, but she never acted upon those feelings. Yes, Sara had liked Oliver, but which girl hadn't at this point? She was happy to just being an ally and a friend, while Laurel still had to outgrow her crush.

Laurel often spoke of hypotheticals. _If_ he loved me, _then_ we would do this and that specific thing. If he broke up with Kara, he would look for a metahuman girlfriend. If he'd only give Laurel a chance, he'd know they were made for each other.

But this realistically would never happen. Sara could see what Laurel could not – Oliver Queen was too devoted to his current girlfriend, Kara Danvers, the alien with multiple abilities. He would never leave her side. She was everything Oliver was looking for in a woman: pretty and strong, not too girly, superior to others and knows it. Kara was gorgeous and damn, did she look good flying around. she had the most beautiful smile and though Sara had tried to befriend her many times, Kara did not want to be associated with someone who technically still belonged to the lower class.

At least Sara managed to befriend Kara's sister, Alex. She was just as gorgeous and powerful as her sister, though in other areas. Alex Danvers was no metahuman, but she was an incredible fighter. She and Sara often sparred together and Alex almost always won – though that could be attributed to Sara being distracted by Alex' curves.

Strangely enough, Sara felt the same way about her other best friend, Ray Palmer. What he lacked in physical strength, he made up in heart and intelligence. He was one of the smartest people she'd ever met and wasn't unattractive either. Still, there was some added element that she did not feel around girls – she had romantic feelings for Ray Palmer.

Hopeless as she was, Sara did not mention it. as soon as she spoke his name the same way Laurel pronounced Oliver's way, Laurel would not let it go. She may even try to set them up on a date. Even if it wouldn't work out, she'd still insist to make this romance work. Then again, there was the question: what if Ray did not feel the same? Sara would only humiliate herself if she had the same fantasies as Laurel.

The doorbell rang. It took Laurel and Sara out of their thoughts.

"I'll get it," Sara said. She stood up and walked to the door of their apartment building. She opened it and her eyes widened. Ray Palmer stood there.

"Hi," he said, a jovial smile on his face and a large bouquet in his hands. This bouquet covered his upper chest and obscured a part of his face. on top of that, he was wearing a probably expensive tuxedo, complete with a bow tie and some hair gel. It was a strange sight, overall, to see Ray Palmer so formally dressed.

And that at her doorstep, in a neighborhood that was everything but fancy.

"Hi," Sara responded hesitantly. "I didn't think you knew where I lived." She also believed she never had given him her address.

"I may have looked it up," Ray confessed. Then he remembered what he was holding. "These are for you."

Thank you," Sara said, accepting the flowers.

Now what to do with them? He did not want to place them down immediately so as not to seem too disrespectful, but she did not want to keep them in the air for the entirety of their conversation as well.

"I'm sorry, do you want to come in?"

"No need, I'm fine," Ray said. he shook his head more than he should have. "I wouldn't want to embarrass your father."

"He's not here right now." He was currently finishing his additional training in National City, and he would not be back until next month. It was not a big deal; Sara and Laurel could look after themselves just fine. At least Quentin would be up to date with all the newest weapons and materials the New Reich offered their soldiers when he returned home.

"Even better," Ray said. he scratched his throat and looked past Sara in the house. That he could not see anyone in the hall may have comforted him. "I… I guess I came here to ask you a question."

"Okay," Sara said. "Is it important?"

"It is to me." Ray opened his mouth to ask the question, but he closed it again. "God, how do I start? Er…" He hesitated for a while, but he eventually found the right words. "Sara Lance, would you…" He cut himself off again. It did not sound right. It would not sound right.

This did not look right to Sara. Ray was always so spontaneous, he never had any trouble asking for anything. And here he was, almost stumbling over his words and insecure about what he was going to tell her.

"Never mind," he eventually said.

Sara frowned. "Never mind?"

"Yeah, never mind. I just…" Ray shrugged. Sara noticed he was having a hard time with this for whatever reason. He shook his head. "I can't do this."

"Why don't you tell me what's wrong?" Sara asked. "We'll figure it out."

Ray nodded. He liked the solution.

"I need to tell you something, but I don't want to ruin our friendship," Ray explained. "I really, really want you to still be my friend if this doesn't go well."

Based on the nervousness he had shown thus far, the way he had phrased his latest statement as well as the size of the flower bouquet he'd given her, Sara made an educated guess.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

At first, Ray did not respond. After a couple of seconds, he released his breath and nodded. "I guess I am."

Sara smiled. He's asking me out. She was on cloud nine – she did not know when Ray started reciprocating her feelings, but she was glad that what she's been feeling for him would not remain without any response, as Laurel's feelings for Oliver were.

"I don't know what we'll do yet," Ray said. With every word, he seemed to speak faster. "You know, because I don't know how you'll react, but we'll find a good place and time. I know a good pizza place downtown."

"That sounds great," Sara responded, partially to shut him up.

Again, Ray was taken aback. He had not expected her to already agree to the first idea he proposed. "Really?"

Sara nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you there."

A wide grin appeared on Ray's face. it had to be impossible to wipe that from his face – at least until he had to go to bed. "Great! I'll see you then."

"See you then," Sara said." Bye."

"Bye!" Ray responded. He waved one more time at her and then walked away. Sara closed the door and took a deep breath as she leaned against it.

Was this really happening?

Yes. Yes, it was. Ray Palmer had asked her out; they were going to eat pizza on a yet to be decided date. Come to think of it, they did not even know exactly which pizza place Ray had in mind. Luckily, there was school tomorrow. By the time they saw each other again, they could discuss the details.

Ray Palmer had asked her out.

"Congratulations!" Laurel exclaimed, startling Sara. Laurel had come out of their room to see what was going on and, most importantly, why Sara was staying away for so long. She had caught them standing in the doorway, with Sara holding the large bouquet while she figured out what Ray was ding here. Laurel hadn't interfered. She would have screamed in excitement if it weren't for her destructive cry.

"Thank you," Sara said, beaming. She carried the bouquet to the living room and placed them on the couch before Laurel pulled her into a big hug. They stood there for a long time, that Sara even thought of something to put that bouquet in.

"I'm so happy for you!" Laurel then said when she pulled out of the hug.

"Thanks," Sara said. "I need to tell Alex!"

Sara ran to the phone and pressed the number on the speed dial. She held her phone to her ear. After a little while, the person on the other end picked up.

"Alex Danvers speaking," her best friend greeted Sara on the other side of the line.

"Alex!"

"Sara, hi!" Alex responded. "What's going on?"

Sara being excited was audible even from the other side of the line, despite the wiring in this particular area not being the very best. This tone of voice also was quite effective in raising some curiosity on her part.

"Ray asked me out!" Sara grinned as she said this out loud. Even saying it out loud didn't make it feel more real – still, the proof had been unceremoniously dropped on the couch for a lack of a better place to put it. It was really happening.

"He did?" Alex sounded surprised, but also excited. Sara nodded.

"He did!"

"That's amazing!" Alex exclaimed. Sara imagined Alex was grinning as widely as she was. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Alex!"

They talked for a little while longer, about Ray and the details of their date. After a while, however, they hung up – the phone bill did not need to be so high if they could also talk about it the next day at school. Sara placed the phone back and Laurel took her back to her room. Tonight, the fantasies were not about what might be between Laurel and Oliver – it was Sara's turn to fantasize about what might become of her and Ray in the future.


	36. Steel

At long last, David Palmer had found Mari McCabe, the last person to cross off his list. He previously adopted Rory Regan and Nathaniel Heywood. David did not need to worry about Kendra Saunders and Carter Hall; a foreign advisor named Vandal Savage had killed them. The only one on the list whom David had not managed to find yet, was Mari McCabe.

David had made the mistake of looking only within New Reich borders. Mari was born in Africa to a Zambesian mother. This was after the country of Zambesi had been decimated, and Senegal was not any better. Mari's older sister had died young and her mother did everything in her power to make sure her second child would get the best life.

Senegal was close to Europe, where someone like Mari was only good as a household help. The New Reich was different than the German empire in this regard. Black people and minorities were still considered inferior to the white population, but they at least were free. They existed to be exploited. Mari found a home with the McCabes, a husband and wife who wanted a child but never could conceive. They were white, but were considerably more tolerant than the general New Reich population and were happy to accept a black-skinned girl as their daughter, no matter the implications.

After Mari had boarded the plane to the New Reich with the official that would bring her to her new family, her biological mother was killed for an unknown reason. Mari only had a totem to remind her of her mother, who often called upon spirits of animals to protect themselves. The power comes from within, her mother used to say to her daughter, who was now the last protector of a country that no longer existed and that she had never seen.

Unfortunately for her, David Palmer found out she was in the New Reich. He did not lead a military squad to the McCabe house; that would look suspicious during a time where there wasn't much rebel activity. David raised the question of adopting African children and how healthy they are. He played into the strange belief that Africans carried rare diseases that could wipe out civilizations. This belief was based on the many deadly diseases that had already ravaged the mid-African countries. Of course, this superstition is pure nonsense, but people will believe anything given the right circumstances – and these were the right circumstances.

David was ultimately allowed to place the girl into quarantine; he did not mention she would be quarantined in his own home. After a week, David presented the documents that proved Mari did not carry diseases and that Mari had returned home. Her adoptive parents were told she did carry diseases and nobody was allowed to come close. In reality, Mari was still locked up after a miserable first week. To be certain that the parents would not cause trouble, they were quietly taken care of and were killed. David did not weep for them; they had to be out of their minds to adopt a black child.

Mari could not be re-educated. Despite her young age, fourteen years old, her spirit was too strong to break or to even easily bend. She knew that David's ideology was twisted and wrong; she was convinced David and his sons were the worst people on the planet. David could not persuade her to denounce anything she may have said or done that could be interpreted negatively by the New Reich – a scene immediately followed by Mari swearing and throwing every insult she knew to David and the New Reich.

And during that last conversation, David made an important decision. Desperate times call for desperate measures. The New Reich could not fall.

* * *

Ray Palmer would situate the following chapter happening when he, Nate and Barry were in the ninth grade, while Rory was in the seventh grade. They were only fifteen and thirteen years old when their father told them the African girl had to stay in her cell. The boys wondered why their father had locked away a girl their age in their basement. Knowing they needed to be given information to keep them quiet, David Palmer brought them down there.

The door could be opened with a ten-digit number, or by turning the large and heavy metal wheel on the door. David had encouraged Nate to use his strength as Steel to open the door – he succeeded. If anyone would try anything else to open that door, the alarm would go off. The same rules applied from the inside; if their prisoner so much as scratched the surface of the door, the alarm would go off and the basement would go into lockdown. Mari McCabe would not be able to escape without outside help.

David led his sons through the reinforced door. The four were in awe of what they saw.

The room was secure; the girl was trapped behind a force field, so the young men were safe. She screamed her lungs out, but they heard no sound. She banged her hands against the force field, but it did not break nor did it punish the girl for her actions – it only stopped her from attacking her visitors.

"Don't worry, boys," David said, being the calmest of the group. "She cannot hurt you."

"Can't she speak?" Rory asked when he noticed how much her lips were moving without actually saying anything.

"She can," David confirmed. "I thought it was better to show her while we cannot hear her. Look at her; she'd only interrupt our conversation."

He was right in the boys' eyes – if she continuously shouted a lot of derogatory things, they would never be able to hold a proper conversation in her vicinity.

"Why is she here again?" Nate asked. If she was a threat to the New Reich, shouldn't she be in a prison camp? If she carried diseases, wouldn't it be better if she was killed and thrown away? If she was locked here – why keep her here? What benefit would she be for their father?

"Do you remember the list?" David asked.

They did remember it. David had told them a time traveler had given him a list of names. The people who had these names would pose a threat in the immediate future of the New Reich. Rory and Nate's parents were on the list, according to David, while Barry did not have dissident parents and he was adopted from the goodness of David's heart. That was the story they had heard.

"She's the last one," David said as he stared at the girl. The last person he had to take care of to ensure the New Reich would not fall. Looking at her in her current state, it would not be an easy task.

"Is she going to be our sister?" Ray asked. He had gained three brothers so far, having a sister would be nice as well.

"No." David shook his head. "She is our prisoner. To keep the Reich safe, we sometimes need to make difficult choices. One of them is making sure she never sees the light of day again, or else the Reich will fall."

The tone he used implied she alone could be the destroyer of the New Reich. That was just a fantasy and the boys knew better than that.

"She doesn't look dangerous," Barry said. yes, she may be loud and ready to fight them there and then, but Barry was convinced she was harmless and did not stand a chance against any of the Palmer brothers. She was their age but never had received the same training the Palmer brothers were still receiving.

"Only her necklace is," David responded. "I am keeping it safe in my office. Without it, she cannot break free." And thus, she was now harmless to them.

"But what if someone finds out?" Ray asked. "They'll destroy you." There were many things you could get away with if you proclaimed to do it in the name of the Reich. Still, many people would draw the line at wrongfully imprisoning a young, harmless girl. Not even her skin color would be enough for David to get away with this. The leadership would not care about this, but the people would, and David did not want the bad publicity connected to his name.

"That is why she needs to be re-educated."

"I don't think that's possible," Rory said. just watching how she behaved in their presence, Rory believed that she could not be re-educated. Her behavior reinforced the stereotype of the wild African in Rory's mind; she was too wild to be re-educated.

"Don't worry, Rory," David said, placing his hand on the shoulder of his youngest son. "I will make her obedient."

"How will you do that?" Barry wondered.

"I am developing a machine," David said. "Building has already started. It will take time to perfect, but once it is finished, it's only a matter of months to turn her into a loyal soldier."

"Really?" Nate said. the only soldiers he knew were loyal by default. In his eyes, only the most loyal citizens remain soldiers after the year of mandatory military service. This girl was neither soldier material nor loyal to the Reich.

"She won't even dare eat without permission." David glared at the girl. She glared back.

That was that. the girl still screamed words to them that they could not hear. David led his sons out of Mari's cell. Nate lingered only for a little while, staring at Mari. When David called him, Nate quickly followed. He could not disobey his father. From now on, they were not to talk about the girl, not even to one another.

Still, she intrigued Nate. He was curious about the African girl who came to the New Reich. He wanted to learn about her life and culture and he could not wait until after she was re-educated. Nate always had a fascination with personal history and he wanted to know what Africa really is like, when it wasn't described through the carefully constructed lens of the New Reich.

Nate was convinced he would be getting that information.

* * *

Nate snuck out of his room that same night and went to the basement. The basement itself was not secured in any way, so Nate could easily go there. As Steel, he managed to open the door without setting off the alarm. He closed it behind him with it being open just a crack - he did not know whether closing it now would lock him in with her.

The girl was woken up by the noise. She immediately stood up and swore like no other person had sworn before in front of Nate. He could not understand what she was saying – it must be some African language – but she was so feisty and emotive, the message came across. Every so often, she threw in some German and English curse words she had recently learned so that he would know what she thought of him.

Eventually, she stopped cursing and glared at him.

"Stop staring," she said with an African accent. Nate had not realized how creepy he had been for staring at her and immediately averted his eyes, looking at the wall behind her and only sometimes glancing at her again.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have stared. I should've known it would make you feel uncomfortable."

She frowned and stared at him quizzically. "You're apologizing?"

Nate nodded. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I did something that made you uncomfortable. It's something you should apologize for." He tilted his head a little and frowned. "Was it that bad?"

"No," she said. "But nobody has apologized to me since I arrived."

"Even if they should have?"

She nodded. Nate was not surprised that nobody felt the need to apologize to a black girl, but he was disappointed nonetheless. Despite being raised to be like his adopted father, the past few years he'd learned to be compassionate and the racism no longer seemed logical to him. They were all people; even the minorities who were seen as less pure, for some reason.

"Why did you come here?" she asked. There had to be a reason, and she did not necessarily trust him yet.

"I would like to know you," he said. "Well, I mean, I would like to know about where you came from. Your country, culture, history, those kinds of things."

While he watched her with this enthusiastic look, she was taken aback by the interest this fifteen-year-old white boy showed towards her and her culture. Nobody was ever interested in it.

"Really?"

Nate nodded. "Of course! But you don't have to say anything if it makes you feel uncomfortable."

But the contrary was true. A smile appeared on the girl's face. "I accept your offer."

Nate beamed. "Thank you so much!" he exclaimed. He put a hand on his mouth, as if covering it would also silence the noise he'd made. The door was still open; anyone who walked close to the basement's entrance may have heard it. Yet nobody came and Nate looked at the girl again.

"Let's start tomorrow," Nate suggested and the girl agreed with him. "My name is Nate, by the way."

"I'm Mari," she said.

And so ended the first of many nights. For the next three weeks, Nate would sneak out of bed and speak with Mary when everyone else was asleep. The thought of learning something new and talking to a new friend motivated him greatly. He tried to save most of the information in his mind, since writing it down meant a bigger risk of being found out. He sometimes asked her to repeat something she had spoken of a night ago and she always did.

While he was happy to learn, she was delighted to teach. Not many white people were interested in her culture beyond eradicating it to replace it with white culture. She hoped the back-and-forth would at least lessen the presupposed racism and that he would actually learn something from it. Another benefit was having a conversational partner and not feeling lonely, despite her situation.

The topics were wide-ranging: foods and drinks, education, spirituality and religion, language and idioms and translation, living conditions, government and law enforcement and the justice system, geography, traditions and folklore, and mythology; her family. She seemed upset at the thought of what happened. she was too young to remember what happened to her home, but she was saddened nonetheless and did not immediately share this information. Still, over those three weeks, he had gained her trust. She allowed him to learn about the Jiwe family history.

"My home country, Zambesi, once had five tribes living in it. The five matriarchs were the protectors of the country and each possessed a totem. When I was born, grandmother was the only protector left. Only three days later, mother and I fled the village. We came to Senegal. My sister died while we fled, while the others were killed by white men. The necklace I had was grandmother's totem."

"I understand the personal connection to the totem," Nate said, "But does that totem only have symbolic value?"

"The totem allows the bearer to call upon the spirits of animals to take their traits and to protect those we hold dear. It could be used as a weapon, too."

"Oh," Nate said in a semi-confused tone. He did not know what to expect from 'calling upon spirits', but it made sense to Mari, and that was all that mattered.

"To give me my best chance, mother put me up for adoption. Six months ago, someone here wanted me. before I left, mother gave me the totem. She must have known it was the last time we would ever see one another. She has probably passed away by now."

Her mother had been ill, Nate remembered from previous conversations. That fact in combination with not being very loved in Senegal made it impossible for Mari's mother to have survived any longer than she already had.

Mari took a deep breath. "At least you have your parents."

"Not really." It slipped out before Nate could stop it. This piqued Mari's interest; Nate noticed the interested look in her eyes. He could not keep it to himself. Mari had just disclosed her family history and it seemed that today, it was his time to share some personal stories.

"My mom and dad died when I was young," he said. "And then David – Dad – adopted me."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mari said with a compassionate tone. Nate shook his head.

"Don't be," he said. "They were not good people."

"Why?"

"Because they were bad." Mari did not think it was a good reason and so he elaborated. "Dad has a list with the names of rebels. He thought it would be best if they were killed and my parents were secretly rebels. They were on the list. Dad took it upon himself to adopt me, to make sure I didn't become like them."

"How old were you?" Mari then asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe I was three, four years old," Nate responded. The true timing was not known, and even David wasn't one hundred percent sure about it. "If you want to know whether I remember anything, I don't. not really. It's only bits and pieces."

"What specifically do you remember?"

"There were many people," Nate said. he did not sound very convincing – he didn't know what really happened and what he'd accidentally made up – but he continued nonetheless. "At least twenty. Many guns, many gunshots. Screams… my parents scream and beg, but they don't fight back. Warning shots were fired in the air. They had to confess someone. They didn't."

And then they were brutally murdered.

Nate trembled. He could not say much more. As soon as he had started to speak, the words just came out as he described the scene in more detail than he ever had remembered it up until that point. There had to be some pieces of memory he had put down so much, it had taken such a long time to resurface.

He shouldn't feel bad. They were rebels and deserved it. but as a kid living through this, it was such a traumatic event. He had received therapy to learn how to deal with this, but it never had hit so hard as it just did.

He looked at Mari. She watched him as if she wanted to help, though she wasn't able to because of the force field that separated them. Her gaze did not magically take the pain away, but it did calm him again so that he could speak again.

"What are you thinking?" he asked softly. Something had to be going on in her mind.

"What I'm thinking…" Mari said, carefully choosing her words. "It's something you may not like to hear."

"I will listen," he said. whatever she was now keeping from him couldn't be that bad. It was probably just an alternative look at events, it wouldn't upset him too much. Right?

"You wanted to know this," Mari said as a clear warning. She gave him an option not to hear this, but he chose to want to know this. "I believe… I mean, it's possible your parents weren't rebels."

The suggestion hit him like a truck. Nate remained silent, too shocked to speak. Mari took that as an invitation to carefully keep talking.

"You sad you heard gunshots. The military has weapons, but would they bring in twenty people to kill two rebels? Would they ask the rebels to confess before killing them? I have learned the military gladly kills without question and that they rarely grant their targets some more seconds to confess something. I believe they didn't need a confession to enter the house, so why ask for one?"

Still, Nate could not respond. He could recognize Mari's questions were valid, but Nate did not agree with the direction they took. His mind was stuck on the 'my parents are rebels' thought – something he'd believed his entire life, something he could not easily move on from. He wanted to tell her it was just his memory, and memories can be and are faulty, so what she said could not be true because she wasn't there and he couldn't even trust his own memory.

Yet, he couldn't. She'd planted doubt in his mind, and he could not shake it off.

"I have to go," Nate said softly. He stood up and exited Mari's cell, careful not to trigger the alarm. He needed the space, he needed to think this over, he needed to find a way to know what the truth was and what it wasn't.

He lay in his bed for half an hour and stared at the ceiling when the answer came to him.

The internet. It held all the information he could ever want to look up, but he never used it to look into his biological parents' deaths. Nate had always believed the story David had told and never felt the need to verify this story. Why would he? He had been three years old when it happened; he was young and impressionable enough when David told him why his parents had died and he never questioned his adoptive father's authority.

He opened the New Reich's main search engine and typed in his parents' names.

The results weren't what he wanted to see. Different media outlets had extensively covered the murder of two upstanding private citizens and the subsequent kidnapping of their infant child by the rebels. Ten men supposedly entered the house, guns blazing. It was a miracle the boy survived, the media said. another article clarified the rebels tortured the parents, as recorded by body-cams, and kept the son to raise him and indoctrinate him to be a loyal soldier. Dr. Palmer personally stepped in and his guards had saved the boy, whom David promptly adopted.

Nate wasn't too upset, but he was disappointed in his father. David had lied about his parents' deaths. Why would he not be honest with his adopted son from the beginning; why did he even want to make him believe his parents were bad people? To erase any allegiance the kid may have towards his biological parents, perhaps? To keep him loyal to the Reich?

And what about the list of rebels?

Nate left his room for the second time that night. Instead of heading to the basement to meet with Mari, he went to his father's office. It may be late in the evening – or rather, very early in the morning – but he needed to confront his father. David did often stay up late, so there was a chance Nate would be able to confront him with the truth.

The walk to his father's office wasn't long. Nate knocked on the door, but there came no answer. Maybe his father hadn't heard the knocking, so he knocked again. Again, there came no answer.

But the door was unlocked and Nate entered the office.

There was no way David would have allowed one of his children to enter without his presence or permission. It was so ingrained into their minds, Nate almost turned back. Yet, he persisted. He needed to know the truth, which would be found behind that door.

The computer on the desk required a password, which Nate did not know. Whatever documents David stored on there, he could not access them now. So he did what any other child would do in his situation: rummage through his father's stuff, both through the desk drawers and in the several closets.

Nate had never seen more paperwork in his entire life than during those painstakingly slow minutes. It was all inventions and regulations, and he even found a blueprint for the room his father had been talking about to keep Mari in. He quickly glanced at it and then continued his way.

Eventually, he found the necklace Mari had described to him: the Anansi totem, the necklace that granted the bearer numerous powers, owned by the last protector of Zambesi. For now, it was not locked away or protected by a security system. Rather, it was tucked away in the back of a drawer that was not often opened. Nate grabbed the necklace with no intention of using it himself – he would not be able to, even if he wanted to – but to return it to Mari when the time was right. David would not even notice it was missing.

Not much later, Nate found the list he had been looking for. He had expected and hoped to see his parents' names. That was not what he saw. Instead of his parents' names, there were five other names. Rory Regan, Nathaniel Heywood, Mari McCabe, Kendra Saunders, and Carter Hall. Kendra and Carter… those names sounded familiar. They had been killed by a foreigner. That left only himself, Rory and Mari.

This was never about their parents being a threat to the New Reich in the immediate future. It was about _them_.

Suddenly, Nate felt less comfortable being at home than he usually was.

* * *

Mari had known that Nate would react adversely to the news. Still, she did not know what happened. She was not aware of current events within the New Reich and had only guessed what she thought could be the truth and shared it with Nate, who may not as easily see the truth because of his upbringing. She had not expected him to return that night. She had not even expected him to return this week. So when he showed up for the second time that night and disturbed her sleep, she was shocked.

Before Mari could ask him anything, he spoke.

"You were right. They weren't rebels. Dad lied about them."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mari said. being lied to by a parental figure is not something she was familiar with, but she did not think it was something trivial neither she nor Nate could push aside.

"It's not the only thing he lied about," Nate said with a grave expression on his face.

He told her about the list, about the names on them and his theory about what it could mean. Mari listened intently, not sure what to do with the information Nate presented to her. she was not surprised to learn a white man would try to change the future so that it would be better for himself, though taking children from their parents and convincing them their parents were bad people was a step too far in the wrong direction. Not putting the man who killed two others from the list on trial and instead allowing him to return to the European mainland was more than just a shameful action. Both Mari and Nate realized that she was next to be changed.

"What will he do to me?"

"I'm not sure," Nate said. "Well, he doesn't want you dead, but as a loyal soldier. He's been building some special room. I know it'll be finished soon, way faster than dad- David expected it to be. Starting tomorrow, you may become that loyal soldier."

Mari was not easily scared or intimidated. When she heard this news, however, she was terrified for her life. David Palmer was going to steal it from her and give to the New Reich without her consent.

"Don't worry, though," Nate said, "I won't let them hurt you."

"How will you try to stop him?"

"We don't," he said, "but we leave tonight."

He carefully opened the door again before Nate, as Steel, smashed the control panel that kept up the force field. The alarm went off, the basement went into lockdown. But the locks did not fit on the opened door, which meant they could quickly escape. Before they fled, Nate gave Mari her necklace back, which Mari gratefully accepted.

The chase began. The guards could come any minute, coming down from the big staircase Nate had used every night to come – the one Mari was running towards.

"No, this way!" Nate said. "I know a shortcut."

Mari immediately turned and followed Nate. He knew the house better than her; at the end of the hallway, they would find a small concealed door that led to another staircase that would bring them to the garden entrance. It was a longer route, but it was not the one the guards may expect her to take and it may not even be locked down. And later, outside of the basement, the guards may expect her to leave via the main entrance or trying to find a window to exit the house from.

The garden was easier. There were high walls, too high for someone like Mari to escape from. But with a little help from Nate, Mari could climb over it. Nate would stay behind; he would leave via the main entrance, telling the guards he'd try to find the girl by running around the block.

They had not decided where they would meet up after this escape. It would be nice to see each other again in the long run, to bump into one another by accident, but it would be safer to travel separately while they both ran away. The only thing they decided was in which direction they would flee, so as not to come across one another.

They found the hidden staircase and climbed it, reaching the large garden easily. Nate shoved the door out of the way and urged Mari to go outside. The two teenagers walked to a portion of the east wall that bordered a back alley. From there, Mari could easily escape.

"Run like hell," he told her. Mari nodded.

"I will find you," she said. She had not admitted it out loud until then, but she had grown rather attached to the young boy who had shown her compassion. He was more willing to admit the same about her.

"And I you."

Nate placed one hand on the other and readied himself to help her get over the wall. To make sure this would work, Mari called upon the strength of an animal spirit.

It was one of the most magnificent things young Nate had ever seen – which was saying something, considering he was raised and taught at a school with a high variety of metahumans. Mari had placed her hand on the necklace and a blue projection appeared around her, with her standing in the middle. The light took the form of a tiger, opening its mouth in a roar. Suddenly, Nate was convinced nobody would be able to capture her so long as she had her necklace. The blue gleam only lasted for a second or two, but it did silence Nate and it left him in awe. He even briefly forgot why he had come here.

Mari ran towards him and jumped, landing her foot in Nate's hands. He gave her a little push upwards, which was all she needed to further leap over the tall wall. He did not see it, but he was certain she landed gracefully, called on the spirit of a fast animal and to escape into the night.

Nate was satisfied with his work. Now it was his turn to get out of the house.

He turned around and his brother Rory was watching him – little Rory, only thirteen years old, wide-eyed and completely in shock, only barely wearing his rags over his pajamas. Nate did not even need to ask why he stared. Rory had witnessed the events. He only knew the truth as David had told him.

"Rory—" Nate took a step in his direction, slowly, in the hopes to convince him to let him go. The rags already acted and raced towards Nate. He tried to fight them off and pull them away, but there were too many to resist for a long time. The rags clamped themselves onto Nate and wrapped themselves around him, tying him down completely. Nate could not move anything. The entire time, Rory kept his eyes on his older brother, looking at him with shock and determination.

At long last, both Ray and Barry arrived in the garden. They, too, had heard the alarm and later also heard the commotion in the garden. They had come in their pajamas.

"What are you doing?" Ray asked, a quizzical look in his eyes.

"Let him go," Barry ordered him, but Rory did not obey. He was too far gone to forgive Nate for what he had done, which was willingly helping a known threat to the New Reich escape. That made Nate a traitor, and his brothers needed to know this as well.

"He helped the girl escape," he said. "He helped her climb the wall."

Nate did not correct him. Ray and Barry stared, confused and angry and disappointed all at the same time. Nate stared back, not a hint of regret on his face.

* * *

What happened between Rory catching him and waking up in the sterile room remains a mystery to this day. Nate vaguely remembers being beaten numerous times by Barry out of pure anger while Rory's rags kept him tied up. Ray either encouraged Barry to keep going or to stop this nonsense so that David could deal with Nate. The beating eventually did stop; his siblings told David what Nate had done. Nate must have passed out at some point, either because of the beating or because Rory's rags had been squeezing him too much, but his world went black.

When Nate woke up again, he was unable to breathe deeply and suffered from a killer headache and back pains. He opened his eyes but closed them again – the bright light shone directly into his eyes. It was hard to get used to. Eventually, he did manage to keep his eyes open.

Everything was white: the walls, the ceiling, even the straps that kept him tied to the most uncomfortable bed he had ever had to lie in. and the lights… the lights were the worst. There was never a moment when those lights were dimmed. The days were timed by when meals would come, even if that was not very reliable either. The meals came irregularly and often was not too edible.

But I am getting ahead of myself.

When Nate awoke and his eyes had adjusted to the light, he finally was what kept him from escaping or breathing too deeply. He was bound to the white table-like bed by his ankles and knees and waist, by his wrists and elbows and shoulders. There was even a strap across his forehead that barely allowed him to turn his head.

He struggled and panicked when he realized just how stuck and alone he was. He must have tried to escape for what felt like an hour, pushing and pulling and shouting at the top of his lungs – surely someone would hear him. He yelled until his voice was gone and cried until he had no more tears left to cry. And the intrusive thoughts came and did not leave him: was saving Mari worth this?

Yes, was the initial answer. If he hadn't, Mari would have been strapped in here. but that answer grew more and more doubtful every passing eternity.

Many eternities later, the hidden door opened to reveal a dark hallway and David Palmer standing there. Nate almost started crying again when he saw his father figure.

"Dad…" It barely came out as a whisper, if it was even audible at all. He had destroyed his voice.

David approached him, a cold and distant look in his eyes – the exact kind of look Nate always noticed when he had disappointed his father. He sat down next to his adopted son but never made eye contact. He stared at the dark spot the opened door had left – a door that seamlessly integrated with the white wall when it was closed. He did not even move at all.

Nate tried to get his attention. But whatever he did, David did not turn or even acknowledge the fifteen-year-old kid he had put here. This continued until Nate behaved himself and did nothing to draw the attention anymore.

"You were never supposed to be here," David then said. "That _African girl_ was." His voice dripped with venom when he mentioned Mari – it made Nate sick how his role model talked about her like she was an animal, but as if she was evil. He continued in a milder tone. "Do you know what happened to her."

Nate could honestly say that he did not. He helped her climb the wall, but Nate foolishly believed (or rather, hoped) his father wanted to know what happened to her after he had helped her. So Nate shook his head, as far as that was possible with the forehead-strap, and his father noticed.

"But you do," he said. "You helped her escape. You gave her that necklace. You helped her jump over the wall." Silence fell for some brief moments. "We may never find her. We may never be able to stop this threat. You are responsible for the end of the New Reich. You're nothing more than an accomplice."

"No," Nate said. His voice was soft and his glare on his father.

"No?" David said. He shook his head disapprovingly. "How petty. You should know better than to talk back. You were such a good boy before she came."

Nate attempted to sit up – as expected, it did not go anywhere and the tight straps only cut deeper into his skin. But he felt like he couldn't lie down for this."

"We are good people," he said, "but you are evil. We are on the list and you lied."

"Yes, you are on the list." Nate was taken back by this sudden admission of lying and the brutal honesty in his voice. "A time traveler came to me once and told me the people on the list would destroy the New Reich. I believed I had done my job right. I took you and Rory in and I raised you; you should be glad I didn't kill you and your brother when I had the chance."

Nate's blood boiled. Despite the fear he felt for his father, he could not stand the thought that David even considered killing Rory, Nate's favorite brother. He was glad David had allowed them to live, though probably for all the wrong reasons.

"I suppose I could kill you. It would save me a lot of trouble." David's tone was so casual. He might as well have been discussing disposing of a broken appliance. This statement made Nate believe he was raised by an actual psychopath. "But you are still my son, so I'm not going to do that."

David stood up and finally looked at Nate. He literally towered over his son, who was forced to look up at the man who had 'saved' him from his parents, at whose mercy Nate was once again. One similarity between today and that day was him being terrified for his life.

"I built this room, now I will use it," David said, "it's time for you to become a good son again."

Terror overtook Nate. He panicked – he did not know what was to follow and if frightened him. More frightening was that David would willingly hurt one of his children, one of whom he would re-educate to be obedient to the absurd level of 'would not dare to eat without permission'.

"No!" Nate yelled, damaging his voice even further. "No, please. Dad. Dad!"

David did not listen. He walked out of the room and the door closed, trapping Nate in the white light again with a renewed will to break free.

That strong will was broken within months. They would only speak German to him while he was desensitized and his personality broken down. No affection was shown and he only knew the bright room and the occasional glimpse of darkness from the basement hallway. The room slowly became his world. They taught him to be obedient while using every brainwashing strategy they knew on him. Nate's will shrank until it did not exist anymore.

Nathaniel Heywood became only a shell of his former self. Even his name and family was taken from him – even his family considered him to be just a personal soldier instead of a brother. They only called him by his new name; Steel. A name the naming committee may have come up with should Nate have made it to the naming ceremony.

Nate disappeared from public life, yet nobody batted an eye. At first, it was reported Nate got hurt when a burglar came in and injured him. Later, it would become common knowledge that Nate Heywood was finishing his education in Germany and, after the high school years, that he had decided to stay there and work as a German citizen. The press took it for granted and did not verify their sources, as was customary when reporting on the aristocracy of the New Reich. Nobody knew what actually happened to Nate.

Steel became a private guard of the Palmer family, sometimes lent to the Führer for more dangerous missions. None of the soldiers make the connection between Steel and Nate, for Steel did not speak unless told. He was an obedient soldier, in some regards more like a dog than an actual human being. This was not living – this was surviving only because someone else made him eat.

That is the tragic story of Nathaniel Heywood.


	37. Top of the world

The end-of-year Academy senior party, held right after the graduation and naming ceremony, started at six. Dinner was served at seven and alcohol was served from eight o'clock forward. For some seniors, this meant it was time to get drunk on beer and wine. One of those seniors was Sara Lance.

Ever since she had discovered alcohol at the age of sixteen, she knew she could never let go of the taste and the buzz it gave her. She always drank until she was drunk because it gave her an amazing feeling; like she did not have a care in the world. She was ecstatic, a state she never quite reached when she was sober.

Sara ate her dinner, got drunk and hit the dance floor. While she was there, she bumped into Alex, who was also invited to the senior party because she, too, was a senior, even if she didn't graduate.

"Sara!" Alex exclaimed when she saw her best friend. Alex, too, had drunk extensively this evening. Sara had truly found an equal in beer taste and the number of glasses downed when they had met.

"Alex!" Sara yelled with the same enthusiasm Alex previously had displayed.

"The Canary!" Alex said. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks," Sara said. She had thought it was a bit tacky beforehand, but now that she's had five glasses of beer, she did not care about the name the Academy had given her. She only cared that she had received one, while Alex hadn't.

"You still should've been given a nickname today, too," Sara said. Alex dramatically shook her head in response and literally waved the idea away.

"I don't need a random moniker to find value," she said. "It won't change my life in any significant way."

Sara had to admit there was a grain of truth in Alex's words. She still believed it was up to the person who received the nickname to make it work or to ditch it.

"It sure does feel good to have one," Sara stated and she raised her glass. Alex nodded.

"True, true," Alex agreed with her and she raised her glass as well. She then stopped in her tracks; she paused to take a closer look at Sara, who noticed her gaze. Sara turned around 360 degrees so Alex could see the complete picture. Alex nodded approvingly. "You know… you look really good tonight."

Sara beamed. She may have even blushed as well.

"Thanks," she said. she took an extensive look at Alex, who mimicked Sara turning around. "You're not bad yourself."

Alex took a sip from her glass and grinned at her friend. "I try my best."

A new song played. It was one of the most popular dance numbers of that year. The senior population expressed their pleasure of hearing the first tunes and cheered. This was the third time it was played this evening, but that did not matter – it still elicited the same reaction from the graduates, who became more drunk with the minute.

"Shall we dance?" Alex said. Sara grinned.

"I can't say no to that."

They left their glasses at the table, unattended. They didn't care that they wouldn't remember where they'd put it. They would get some news drinks later and one graduate would notice the two unattended glasses and drink from it. For now, the two women only cared about dancing.

And they danced. They stayed together, having fun and singing along to the lyrics of English and German songs. They often butchered the pronunciation and sung what they believed the lyrics were. Fun and happiness were guaranteed. At one point, Sara had been spinning around so much she fell on the ground. Alex just stood next to her and together, they laughed. Only a party could make falling without hurting yourself such an enjoyable event to look back at when they were older.

Someone extended their hand to help Sara stand up. She followed the arm and saw that it was Ray. He looked sober – he was sober. Since he had tried a beer at his sixteenth birthday party, decided he disliked the hangover so much, he would never drink irresponsibly again. That was how it usually went: Sara drank and Ray would pick her up from the floor and bring her home so she could sleep it off.

"Ray!" Sara said, a smile on her face as she grabbed Ray's hand. Ray pulled her up to her feet and had to catch her – she almost fell over as she stood up.

"Hi, Sara," he said to her and then nodded at Alex to acknowledge her. Still, he had not come for Alex; he had come for Sara.

Ray looked at his girlfriend. "I need to show you something."

"Right now?" Sara wondered, glancing at Alex. She did not want to leave her best friend behind in the crowd. They had been having so much fun together, it would be a shame to stop it now.

"Yes, right now," Ray said. "You'll always have the chance to talk to her another time."

This rather weak argument convinced the drunk girls.

"Okay, then," Sara said. she grabbed Alex and hugged her tightly. "Bye, Alex!"

"Bye!" Alex hugged her back. They stood there for at least five more seconds until Sara let go and the two friends went their separate ways. Ray took Sara's hand and lead her to the exit of the venue. At first, Sara did not notice, but once they were outside, Sara became suspicious.

"Where are we going?" she asked. "The party's still going on." It was only nine o'clock – there still was one more hour of partying left. But Ray walked away from the venue. It did not look like he planned to go back inside.

"I know," he said. "But I want to show you something outside of this party. More specifically, atop the Palmer building."

Sara's mouth fell open in surprise. "Really?"

The top of the building was usually off-limits. Though the Palmers had their own nice mansion, they also owned a not-quite-penthouse on the top floor of the Palmer Tech building. The roof was not to be used for personal gain, David Palmer used to say. It was still off-limits, but Ray wanted to show her something special from up there. Still, it would be spectacular; it would be the first time Sara would be so up high from the ground.

"I've got a nice surprise for you if you'd like to accompany me." Ray offered her his hand again. Sara stared at it for a second and then smiled at him.

"Of course," she said and she took his hand.

* * *

The elevator ride was long, but Sara did not mind as long as she leaned against Ray. Adrenaline rushed through her body. It could be the height, it could be the rush of finally going higher than she's been before. She could not exactly pinpoint what it was, but that rush really was something. And knowing that the surprise was coming closer with each floor they passed could contribute to that rush, too. And to top that all off, she was going to experience it with her boyfriend. Today could not get any better.

The elevator doors slid open at last and revealed the living room of the penthouse. Sara spotted the balcony and was ready to dash across the room to stand on it, but Ray's gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"Not yet," he said. "First, I want to ask you whether you'd like to go a little higher?"

That was a stupid question. "Yes!" Ray directed her away from the elevator and to the large staircase, which they had not taken because it would be such an inconvenience. They continued their journey upward, to one final door that brought an end to the staircase. Ray took the lead and placed his hand on the door handle.

"Are you ready for the view of your life?" he asked. Sara nodded.

"Just show me already!" she said with the excitement of a little girl. Ray grinned and opened the door.

Sara walked onto the roof and was met with an ice-cold breeze. She pressed her jacket closely against her as the wind played with her hair. She walked until she was about five yards away from the edge, safely looking down from up so high.

Ray joined her and stood next to her, an arm over her shoulders. "Here's your view."

The Palmer Tech building was one of the biggest skyscrapers in Star City. As she looked down, she had a great sight of Star City down below. All artificial lights made it a colorful pallet while the siren of a police car or maybe firefighters or ambulance just barely managed to reach the top. There was so much to see – the Academy was right to the east, and then in the north, there was the Star City Stadion. The town hall, the Merlyn building, the Queen building, the park… all major hotspots were visible.

"You are the Canary now," Ray said after some silence. "You were meant to soar above the rest of them." He turned his head to Sara. "Do you like the view?"

A modest smile appeared on her face. "I do."

And they stood there and enjoyed the view. Sara leaned against Ray and silently, they took in every little detail they could discern.

Still, there was something about the scene that did not seem right to her. For Ray, this may be natural, but this wasn't it for her. She was not afraid of heights, but something was missing.

And as she looked up, she knew what it was.

Sara reminded herself of a specific night she had spent with Alex Danvers only two months ago. It was the Easter Break and Alex had invited Sara to come along to her hometown. Sara agreed. It was just her and Alex; Kara stayed behind in Star City. Alex explained what life was like in rural areas as opposed to urban areas and cities. Her family may have sold their house and moved to Star City, but Alex still had friends there. One of those friends was a farmer who allowed the girls to camp on his property.

Sara had never been camping before. It soon became one of her favorite activities, especially during the night. Because when night fell, it was dark. This was not the darkness of a city – there were streetlights in the far distance, not close enough to light their way. They had to use flashlights to get to their tent. But when Alex woke Sara up in the night and brought her outside, Sara was blown away.

Up in the sky, there were a million and more stars. The moon shone brightly, too. Alex explained that stargazing was one of her and Kara's favorite activities when they were younger and more innocent. While Kara did not seem to miss this particular activity, Alex often returned to the countryside so she could gaze at the stars and revel in this natural wonder. Alex pointed out and named all constellations – Sara attempted to coin a few new ones as well, having never seen something like this before. The girls had an overall wonderful time – no ten minutes passed by without them laughing or smiling to some extent. Sara specifically remembered wishing that moment could last forever.

That jubilant memory stood in sharp contrast to her current location. The natural light from the moon and stars were drowned out by artificial lights. The calm of the countryside had no place in a busy city like this. Instead of looking up in awe, she was now forced to look down, almost in anticipation of something big happening – something big that may never come.

One of the biggest differences was her companion. Alex was spontaneous, kind, willing to teach Sara some of the things she may never have known about if it weren't for her. Alex was patient with her, never looked down on Sara for where she came from, since she had been in that place herself. It may not have been the exact same place, though they were on the same of irrelevance before something magnificent entered their lives through their sisters. Alex was not just a best friend, but a possibly platonic soulmate.

On the other side, there was Ray. The cute young man with a charming smile that hid numerous secrets. He was one of the smartest people she knew, and he knew it. He tried explaining what he did to her, using many difficult words for scientific concepts and using similarly difficult words to explain those other difficult words. He had given up trying to explain anything her altogether, while Sara probably would have understood all the core concepts if he had chosen simpler terms and drew more analogies.

Because of this, she had a feeling Ray looked down on her – he genuinely loved her, but he was careful not to say something negative about the 'working class' in public while he privately did not censor himself. Sara was "one of the few good ones", as opposed to the entire population of the working class. Even though she used to love Ray, she was certain the amount of love she felt was gradually diminishing.

That was the most confusing aspect of this comparison – her love for these people. Was it bad that she could not differentiate between platonic friendship and romantic love?

At that moment, Sara realized she would have preferred to stay with Alex and partied until curfew than to stay on a rooftop for an unknown amount of time. But she could not return; the party must have been almost over by now. It's not like Sara could go home now either; she had technically left the party and thus, she'd never make it come before curfew. She would have to spend the night with her boyfriend.

But she did not think about sharing the bed with him in such a romantic way. Instead, she shocked herself by imagining herself sharing the bed with Alex, and liking it. A chill went down her spine – she shouldn't think treacherous thoughts like that, but once the image had formed, Sara could not shake it off.

She liked Alex. She liked _girls_.

This could not be happening.

But nothing was lost yet. If she loved girls, then so be it, but she also still loved boys. That was a good sign. She could pass as straight. She could live her life and nobody needed to know. Whether Alex liked girls was a question that may never be answered; an enigma only the stars knew the answer to.

So she stood on the rooftop and leaned against Ray, her eyes on the city behind her. Yet, in her mind, Sara was on the fields with Alex, sitting in front of their tent and looking at the stars.


	38. Legacy

Ray took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Somehow, this entire ordeal had made him feel anxious. He had never been in his father's office before. It was just strange that he now was going to enter. It was such a surreal place – it existed, but remained out of Ray's existence – such a sacred place that the thought of even sticking one toe over the threshold was outlandish and foolish.

But Ray placed a hand on the door handle anyway. He wished his brothers were here. Barry was on a diplomatic mission in Germany and Rory, if he remembered correctly, was deployed in Argentina. Ray was all alone. And with every ounce of courage he could muster, Ray pushed down the door handle and opened the door.

The room was still in its original shape; nothing had been touched yet. This must be the first time someone entered it after the murder. Somehow, opening the door and seeing what lay behind it made it easier for him to enter. With every step, this motion felt less and less like a violation and more like an act of strength. This was his now. He should act accordingly.

Ray took his time to look at the many different documents stored in the closets. He found policies and codes of conduct. He found the design for the room that made Steel obedient. He saw a thousand and one other documents before he found the list.

It did not surprise him that not the parents' names, but the children's names were written on it. It made sense that his father would have attempted to raise them instead of killing them for the sake of a stable timeline. It's such a pity that in adulthood, only Rory's was a success story.

At long last, Ray carefully sat down in his late father's chair. It seemed a special moment; anyone else would see a man just sitting down. It was the symbolic act of accepting the role as acting CEO of Palmer Tech and the promise of taking on the load his father had left behind for him.

Ray sat in silence for a while, not moving much at all. He quietly reminisced. But eventually, he did grab the phone on the desk. It was in direct connection to the security, which was exactly whom Ray needed to speak to.

"Bring him to the office," he said and hung up. he did not need to hear the confirmation. Ray knew these men well; they would obey his commands as well as his brothers' when they were younger, but now they worked for him, and not for David.

As he expected, two of his father's personal guards arrived a couple of minutes later. They each held an arm of an unkempt man in a dirty trench coat. They rudely threw him on the ground. He may have been injured, but Ray did not care. The man deserved every injury he got.

"So glad you could join us," Ray said. The man stood up and glared at Ray.

"Just as happy to be here, Mr. Palmer," he said sarcastically in a British accent. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Ray almost lost control there and then. He stood from the chair and leaned in closer, fury in his eyes. He did not give in to that anger, though. It would not help his situation at all and his prisoner may like that.

"Are you?" he just asked. To his surprise, the man nodded.

"I am," he said in a sincere tone, even if nothing suggested he was saddened by these events. "He was a good man and an even better citizen. I had wished nothing for him but a long and happy life."

"And still you murder him," Ray said.

The man nodded again. "I assure you, he did not feel it. I have him a lethal injection while he slept, yes, but I first injected a strong sedative. He truly did not feel anything and passed away peacefully and unaware.

Ray remained silent for a while. His sincerity made Ray truly believe this murderer had indeed not wanted his father to suffer. At least he could give the man credit for that little detail, for that tiny piece of compassion. This almost made the tears flow again, but he was not giving his father's murderer the pleasure of witnessing his son cry.

"Tell me why," Ray then said. "Why, in your opinion, did he have to die now?"

"I work for an organization called the Time Masters," the 'Time Master' said in the same carefully constructed tone. "I am the one who gave your father that list. But the actions he took resulted in some unforeseen consequences. David lived longer than he was supposed to in this new timeline, which caused significant ripples in time. It saddens to have to kill him, but the timeline needs to stay intact for as long as it can to allow this timeline to cement. To keep the New Reich from falling as early as it was originally supposed to."

If Ray understood it correctly, his father was supposed to have lived longer in the timeline the Time Master created by giving David the list. David took it upon themselves to change the timeline for him, but that caused too big consequences for the timeline. Out of fear that his work would be noticed, this time traveler decided it would be a great idea to keep this timeline around but to return to the day that David was supposed to die in the original timeline to kill him.

But the time traveler had not counted on Ray.

"What's your name?"

"Rip Hunter."

"Thank you," Ray responded. He then addressed his guards, who had been silently following the conversation. Of course they would not speak about what was said in this room with anyone. "Take Rip Hunter to the cells. Do not let him out under any circumstance.

Rip did not like this turn of events. A shocked expression came to his face – as if he had expected to walk free – while the guards each grabbed one of Rip's arms again. He was heavily opposed to staying in this time period.

"If I stay too long, my bosses will find me," Rip said in a panic. They'd find out what he had done and they would severely punish him.

"Then you should have considered that before you came," Ray said coldly. He would not be extending his mercy towards the man who had murdered his father. Rip did not kick or shout or do anything to hinder the work of the guards. He did not like the situation, but he could accept this was happening and maybe he was already putting together an escape plan.

Ray sat down in the chair again, trying to calm down. He reminded himself he was just and that this course of action was justified.

He was heading Palmer Tech now. It was high time to put some of its resources to good use.


	39. Just one kiss

It was only a formality that Ray Palmer was asked to attend the wedding of the century, when Oliver Queen and Kara Danvers were to become husband and wife. He had excitedly shown his invitation to Sara, believing that she had received one as well. After all, she had grown so much the past three years, growing into her role as the Canary and becoming a great asset as a New Reichsman. It is even rumored that Sara Lance may be just as good as, if not even better than Oliver Queen in combat and that she may have even officially beaten him once. But these are only rumors and neither Mr. Queen nor Miss Lance confirmed the common theory.

Despite her accomplishments and great performance as a soldier, she had not received a wedding invitation. It soon became clear only the rich and powerful friends of Oliver and Kara's were invited, to present a certain image to the people at home who would follow the event from their living rooms – these people were rich and far away and something these normal folk could never reach, even if they worked hard. Likewise, many other former classmates who originally came from poorer backgrounds were not invited either.

The invitation allowed for a plus one and Ray did not hesitate to ask Sara to come to the wedding with him. She agreed.

Sara and Laurel prepared for the party together; Laurel would go as Tommy's plus one since she had not received an invitation either. They talked about their dates, though for brevity's sake, this will not be included here. The most important take-away was Laurel discovering Sara was not as much in love with Ray anymore as she had been.

Sara confessed she had started to fall out of love. Laurel could not believe Sara could no longer love such a gentleman like Ray Palmer, but she did accept the fact that people could change and fall out of love. When asked what exactly made her stop loving Ray, Sara could not give a clear answer. She did state she still liked Ray as a good friend and that she relished their strong friendship, but that the romantic stuff with him no longer excited her. Laurel assumed it was boring sex that drove Sara away, but Laurel never got Sara to say this out loud.

The conversation was dropped as soon as their dates arrived to pick them up. Both Ray and Tommy wore nice designer suits, while Sara and Laurel wore designer dressed they would never have been able to afford if they hadn't been working as New Reichsmen, a well-paid job that could allow them to live outside of poverty.

The red carpet was not as stressful as Sara and Laurel thought it would be. Most of the journalists focused on the men. They did not ask Sara a single question (but she did say she was happy for Oliver and Kara) and Laurel was only asked about her previous crush on Oliver. She had dismissed that crush as silly, though she would later admit Oliver still had a special place in her heart despite being a couple with Tommy.

The ceremony was beautiful and televised, so I will – once again – not go into detail. The newlyweds stepped into a limousine and drove off to the venue where the reception was going to be held. The paparazzi did not hound the guests and after explicitly being told which journalists were allowed to enter to shoot some footage for the news, the remaining journalists went home. The guests could subsequently safely go to the party venue as well without worrying about being humiliated by the press.

* * *

The reception was fun and the atmosphere was fantastic, this was not to Sara's taste. She stood by the side and briefly talked to Ray, but he soon was dragged on the dance floor by his adopted brother Barry. Sara wasn't feeling very well and she had told Ray to explain her distant behavior to those who wondered what was going on. Sara didn't feel like dancing – it might make her feel sicker. Still, she didn't want to leave too soon either; not everyone present needed to know she wasn't feeling right.

The truth was a little different. There was nothing physically wrong with her, but this entire day she has been struggling mentally and had no idea what to do with her thoughts. Visiting a psychiatrist was dangerous, as was talking to someone about her problem. Alex had moved far away and phone calls could be monitored.

She was happy for Oliver and Kara, but this event triggered a chain of thoughts. She realized that, while she didn't love Ray, Ray still loved her and may want to propose. The media circus would descend upon them: their marriage and love were for the entire world to see and enjoy. If she married Ray, she would no longer be a private person.

If she marries anyone at all, despite this being the perfect cover story, she would no longer be free.

Sara walked to the exit. If anyone asked, she said she needed some fresh air. She couldn't take staying inside for too long, where everyone was happy and joyous when she could not share that sentiment. But she did not just stay by the entrance, she walked over to one of the back alleys of the venue.

During her work, Sara had figured out she felt more comfortable in the dark and quiet of a dirty alleyway. The city lights and sounds were dampened and everything was generally calmer, with a bigger risk of finding some thug to beat up. She could enjoy this loneliness for a while and took a deep breath – she would still inevitably have to return to Ray and keep up the façade.

But she was not alone in the alley.

"Stop right there."

A blonde woman held a gun, which she pointed at Sara. There was a fearless look in her eyes and a strong determination. If she had felt threatened, Sara believed the woman would not hesitate to shoot her.

"Hey!" Sara said, putting her hands in the air defensively. She was not intimidated in the least; she was merely annoyed. This was not the peace and quiet she had been looking for here. "Don't point the gun at me."

The woman then recognized Sara. Realization and shock came across her face and she immediately lowered the gun.

"I'm sorry, miss Lance." She fumbled as she tried to put the gun away. it was a common reaction – the woman hadn't expected to stand face-to-face with a New Reichsman, let alone the Canary, not even on this day.

"Please, call me Sara," Sara said. she took a good look at the woman. She was pretty gorgeous. While Sara had known for two years that she also liked girls, she no longer had the energy to shake those thoughts away. She was way past only acknowledging she had these thoughts and was more willing than ever to accept she thought women were hot. Society and media may have brainwashed her and the entire population into thinking only a man and a woman are allowed to be in a relationship, Sara could not care anymore. Passing as straight and suppressing those treasonous thoughts were exhausting and Sara was running out of energy. But that didn't mean she could accept what she was; she only accepted she had those thoughts.

Sara then focused on other things to take her mind off of her gay struggles. Posture; the woman stood there like she belonged, impeccable with a straightened back and a perfect bun. She probably was strict as well. The uniform told Sara that she was working at the moment, being part of the security team for this evening. Sara glanced at the name tag: she was speaking to Ava Sharpe, working for Sneller Security.

"What are you doing here?" Sara asked to allow Ava to explain her current job herself instead of allowing her assumptions to run wild in her head.

"The company I work for has been hired for the security of this venue," Ava said. "Sneller Security. Nobody goes through that door." She briefly pointed at a back door that possibly led to the venue's kitchen.

Sara frowned. "They stationed you here."

"A possible mass murderer could enter the party through this door," Ava said with the seriousness, confidence, and authority of a young kid proclaiming he's a soldier and protects the house. Except Ava's imagined scenario was actually possible, however small the chance was. "Someone needs to guard it."

"And that someone is you," Sara said.

"Exactly," Ava said and she nodded once. Sara was attracted to Ava's sense of duty, but she didn't like how she started to feel about this hot security woman. Maybe Sara should fine another alleyway to take a breather… but then she would lose her conversational partner.

"What are _you_ doing out here, miss Lance?" Ava finally asked her. "Don't you like the party?"

Sara shrugged. "It's nice. It's fun." She paused. "It's suffocating."

She did not expect Ava to understand, but the security guard compassionately nodded her head.

"You're welcome to stay with me however long you'd like," she said. Sara was eager to take that offer – maybe she shouldn't be so eager to spend more time with this woman. But at that moment, anything would be better than spending time with the wedding guests and the newlyweds.

"Aren't you supposed to do your job?" Sara asked, a playful smile on her lips. Ava shot her the most offended look Sara had ever seen.

"I am doing my job," she defended herself. "I'm more competent than you give me credit for."

"Okay then." Sara believed her and did her best not to sound skeptical.

"Besides, you're the Canary. If someone tries to enter through that door, you'll easily knock them out."

Now Sara shot her most surprised look at Ava. "So now _I_ am protecting this door?"

"No," Ava said, sounding determined. "We can do it together if you'd like." She extended her hand to Sara, as if to make a deal – we guard this door together. Sara looked at the hand and then at Ava.

"I can live with that." She took the hand and shook it without breaking eye contact. Ava's grasp was firm, but she did not squeeze too hard. It was also warm, nicely warm. Sara would have liked to hold hands a little longer. Sara would have rolled her eyes – it was a handshake and Ava was still a stranger to her. Holding hands for longer than a few seconds was inappropriate in any scenario. So they let go and the thought subsided.

"You look cute," Ava blurted out. For a second, this put some primal fear in Sara. Her mind was racing; was Ava gay? Did she notice? If she hadn't, how long would it take? But Ava quickly corrected herself. "I mean, you look really good."

"Thanks," Sara said, trying to sound confident and like she didn't just have a little crisis. It seemed to work; Ava hadn't noticed Sara's fear.

"I hope your boyfriend appreciates it."

Sara nodded. "He does." Ray never let an opportunity to compliment her go to waste, even when she was a mess and hadn't showered in three days for various reasons. Lately, it started to sound like he was only complimenting her because that's what he always does.

Ava folded her arms and tilted her head. "Then why do you sound so hesitant?"

Had she sounded hesitant? Sara hadn't noticed. She'd rather not tell anyone what was going on, but she needed to get this off of her chest sooner or later or risk drowning in her thoughts. But she couldn't talk about her attraction or risk being murdered, but at least she could open up to someone about her relationship problems.

"If I tell you, do you promise not to tell him?" Sara asked.

"There's a high chance I'll never talk to him."

"Good point." Sara took a deep breath. _Here it goes._ "Ray's a good guy. He is kind and nice and ambitious. He loves me."

"But…?" Ava insisted after a pause that lasted a little too long. Sara shrugged again and sighed.

"I don't know. Something's missing."

"Then you shouldn't marry him," Ava bluntly said. Sara was both shocked and not surprised Ava believed she and Ray would marry one day. She did not see herself as Mrs. Palmer, though. "If something is missing now, then that'll cause problems down the road, no matter how much he loves you. It's best to talk it out and be honest."

But complete honesty wasn't an option.

Still, Ava was right. Sara had no idea how much luck Ava has had finding a life partner, but it did sound like the right idea. It was exactly what she had needed to hear, but what nobody had ever told her. After all, the world probably expected she would marry Ray in the long term – at least a stranger with basic common sense was able to give her this advice.

This could have been the end of it. Sara could have thanked her for the advice and the conversation, and she could've walked away. It could have ended there and then. But Sara was not done talking. Telling someone about the problem in the least possible words was heavenly. A tiny piece of the weight on her shoulders was lifted and now she wanted more of that weight to come off.

"For two years, I've been telling myself it will work out eventually. That I'll learn to love him again. It never happened. But he's a good friend and I don't want to lose that." Sara shook her head once and closed her eyes. It was her fault; two years ago, the Realization came and ruined her relationship with Ray. "I don't love him anymore." It was a truth she had known for these years, a truth she had not wanted to speak into existence.

Ava nodded compassionately and respectfully. "That is perfectly acceptable. People fall in and out of love all the time."

"That's not everything," Sara added. "I think that I'm…"

No. Stop. What are you doing?

Around Ava, Sara had felt incredibly comfortable. Somehow the woman had appeared at the right moment at the right place; as if some higher instance had sent her to Sara to comfort her, to understand what she was going through – or at least to be compassionate and carrying about it instead of saying what everyone else said.

But it also was _too_ comfortable. Sara almost revealed her big secret. She almost said it out loud. Sara did not want to do that or even planned to do this. There were cameras and microphones everywhere, possibly around this place, too. And this strict stranger who's shown compassion may turn on her in an instant, who may report her aberrant sexuality and thoughts to the police. It could literally be the end of her.

Sara sat down and leaned against the wall. She did not care about her dress becoming dirty and placed her head in her hands. Why had she even come here? Why couldn't she stay inside and endure it all? Why wasn't she just normal and straight, or why wasn't she perfectly fine with what she was, with _who_ she was?

Ava sat down next to her. She did not speak for a while, to allow Sara to collect her thoughts.

"You don't need to say anything if you don't want to," Ava then said. Sara could hear a bit of hesitation in her voice, some element she couldn't place. Such a confident woman, but suddenly so hesitant.

"But if I understand you correctly…" Ava continued, still not looking at Sara and instead focusing on a brick in the wall opposite from where they sat. She paused briefly but followed the silence with something she needed to get off of her chest. "I would like you to know that you're not alone. I like girls."

This shocked Sara to her core. This woman, this beautiful kind woman, liked girls.

They were strangers. Sara was a freaking New Reichsman and yet she dared to admit this out loud. Sara had every right to arrest Ava at that moment. It was socially expected of her to take this woman away from the society, lest she'd corrupt it.

But Sara didn't arrest her. She couldn't. Ava was living the same struggle. By sharing her own big secret, she validated what Sara felt. With those three simple words, she told the Canary she was not alone, that there were others like her in the New Reich. It was so strange to hear the words, but it was such a relief at the same time.

If she wasn't so shocked, Sara would cry. And after hearing Ava's truth, she just had to say it as well. She had to affirm it as well. She needn't be so exhausted anymore.

"I think…" Sara said. "I think I like boys and girls. And girls more so than boys."

There it was. The secret was not a secret anymore. It was out there. It was free; restricted to the alleyway, but someone knew. And that was great.

Ava sighed in relief. "Thank goodness you're not straight!" Her eyes widened after saying this. "I mean—"

"I know what you mean."

Sara found a new friend that night. Someone she could call up sometimes to discuss the hardships in coded language. Someone to be there when she was feeling miserable. And maybe, in the long run, something more as well.

The women looked one at one another. They stared for too long a time to be considered just a friendly stare. Ava had already confirmed she thought Sara was hot; Sara herself believed Ava to be gorgeous. The inevitable question came to mind – how did it feel like, kissing someone of the same sex? It couldn't be the same as kissing a man. Trying once wouldn't be so bad. Know how it feels, then treasure the experience and revel in it. whatever else would happen, she'd have that kiss. That one moment of pure bliss.

Sara hadn't realized she'd been leaning closer to Ava. Ava saw this as an invitation and took her chance. Their lips collided in what was undoubtedly the most magical experience of their lives. Their first same-sex kiss.

A nearby camera registered this exchange. While the police took action, they were smart enough not to get involved with the Canary. They sent the tapes to Ray so he could deal with it.


	40. Execution

Ray did not feel mercy for the treacherous woman who had forced herself onto his girlfriend.

Ray had reviewed the footage of the crime. He couldn't believe it at first – his Sara would never kiss a girl so willingly. There was not a doubt in his mind this woman was to blame. There were cracks in the system everywhere; just as extremely strict parents raise perfect liars, the values of the Reich could not be passed on to the rebellious, to those who wanted to stand out in an abhorrent way. Ava Sharpe, masquerading as a security guard and a decent person, was one of those people.

On the flip side, Sara was not such a person. Ray knew her; he'd been her boyfriend for several years now. He could still picture the conversation he had wanted to have with her next week; a conversation that would have ended in their engagement. That reality had been so close – was still so close – but it felt so far away now.

 _Why did you do that?_

No. Sara could never be that vile. That lady must have done or said something Sara could not refuse. It must have happened against her will, but then why didn't she pull away immediately?

Ray sent a confirmation e-mail to the police captain who forwarded him the footage. Ray had decided he would deal with Sara, as the captain wished. The police were free to do what they wanted to the woman. Ray also forwarded the footage to Laurel, with the request to take Sara to a remote location so she could prove or disprove her actions. The footage served as a way not to talk about it – he couldn't talk about it.

Three hours later, in the late evening, he received a message back from Laurel. It contained the address, as well as one short – painful – sentence. Sara confirmed enjoying the action.

Ray did not wait. He ran to his car and drove to the address himself. The GPS led him to an abandoned postal office in a neighborhood Ray would have never even entered on his own volition in the past. He parked his car in front of the building. These people living here would never dare to vandalize or to even steal it. This must have been one of the first times such a car was parked in the neighborhood; Ray was convinced his car would still be in perfect condition when he returned. Also, he wanted to see Sara as quickly as possible.

There was one central room that was illuminated. Ray walked in and stopped in his tracks almost immediately. Laurel stood by the side, leaning against the wall. She wore her New Reichsman uniform. So was Sara – she had donned the black-and-red suit she was given on her first day. Still, neither sisters wore their masks.

Sara's wrists were restrained behind her back. She sat on her knees in the middle of the room and did not make any attempts to run away. She knew she was trapped and did not try to run. Running would make her look even more guilty.

 _Please don't run._

Sara turned her head to watch Ray. He'd hoped to see shock and fear in her eyes. He wished she would affirm her innocence and would betray the woman who kissed her. He hoped she would be confused and demand to be released. She did not do any of those things. Instead, she was calm. Collected. She stared at Ray with determination and a certain sadness.

"Hi, Ray," she greeted her. She had cried before he entered, but now even her voice was steady. It scared him – it made him afraid for her life.

"Sara…" Ray walked closer to her, but he still kept a respectable distance. He squatted down, not taking his eyes off of the girlfriend and looked at her with pity. "What did she make you do?"

"She didn't make me do anything," Sara said. It didn't sound like she'd been forced to say this. Unfortunately, Ray was inclined to believe. "I may have initiated it."

That was the biggest shock. Ray even had to catch his breath again and he almost fell backward. Though she was telling it herself, he still found it hard to believe. Everything he thought he knew about her shattered him; still in denial, still unwilling to see the truth. Sara couldn't be one of them. he'd have known – he had spent so much time with her. Her twisted interest would have come up one way or another.

"Why?"

"I needed to know what it felt like," Sara said. Ray would never know why she would want to know such a thing. He just knew it was part of a systemic problem she was struggling with. She needed help. They would provide, if only she wanted it.

"Why lower yourself to her level?" Ray asked in a softer voice, speaking more empathetically. _Tell us what we need to hear._ They could help her solve her problem, they could help her get rid of it. At least Ray and possibly Laurel, too, would be willing to help her overcome her struggles. _Please, let us help._

"Because I _am_ on her level," Sara said. She looked at Ray for a couple of moments before continuing with the bravery he was so familiar with. "She likes girls. I like boys and girls. I loved you, I really did, but I can't deny what I am anymore."

For a second, Ray had no idea how to react. His brain short-circuited. He shifted on his feet.

"Then choose not to be like that," he asked. He pleaded with her.

Sara was hurting him. They both knew it; Ray could feel it, but Sara – even though saddened by what she was doing – did not back down. Why did she have to be so stubborn? She took a deep breath and shook her head.

"That's not how it works," she responded in the same soft voice Ray had used. "I can't reject it. Not anymore. This is me."

Ray sighed. He had failed. "Then I have nothing left to say."

He stood up and walked away from her. Still, he remained in the room, standing close to Laurel. He couldn't say goodbye to Sara – not yet.

"Dad's on his way," Laurel said after she had checked her phone. Sara's eyes widened, but she did not speak. Quentin was coming. If Ray had to guess what could happen from watching the sisters' reactions, it could not be good.

"Should we give him space?" Ray asked Laurel. The Siren nodded.

"That is the best thing we can do."

He leaned against the wall with her. Laurel and Ray often glanced at Sara, who refused to talk to them or even to show any further weaknesses, when they weren't watching the floor. Ray's heart ached, but he could do nothing. She refused help, so he was literally helpless. All he could do now was to wait.

Much sooner than Ray had expected, the door slammed open. Quentin, in a rage Ray had never witnessed before, stormed into the room. His eyes were almost red and his anger levels only rose when he saw his treasonous daughter.

"You!" he exclaimed as he approached her. "I can't believe it. My own daughter, a piece of filth! You're—"

"Spare me the lecture," Sara interrupted him. "Just do it."

At this moment, Quentin was officially on duty. He still wore his uniform and it authorized him to act upon any crime whenever he witnessed it. it gave him powers that had turned him into an efficient but cruel man. As far as the Reich would be concerned, Mr. Lance was in the right and fulfilled his duty.

Without hesitation, Quentin pulled out his gun and shot once.

Sara's body dropped to the floor under the watchful eye of those people who once loved her the most.

Quentin did not feel any remorse for his actions. A sick sense of pride rose within him, knowing he eradicated a small part of a big problem the Reich had been dealing with. He'd killed the aberrant New Reichsman to try and keep the Reich's norms and values intact. Homosexuality was not to be tolerated, especially when people chose to live this lifestyle. They had to die, even if such a person used to be his daughter.

Laurel was saddened to witness her sister's death and would mourn her, but even she believed they were doing the Reich a favor. Without Sara, a public figure who practiced homosexuality was eliminated, thus making sure she would not further encourage this kind of behavior. Her murder still hurt Laurel.

Ray was objectively hurt the most. He did not close his eyes and saw it all. He could not take his eyes off of Sara as the gunshot rang through the air. And suddenly, something changed. Something was missing now. The corpse dropped the floor while a sense of emptiness filled him – it was the kind of emptiness that could not easily fade. The kind that stuck to you like glue. The kind that made you not want to do anything but stare off in the distance with nothing on your mind while time silently crawled on.

He remained in the post office long after Quentin and Laurel left. He admitted to crying when nobody could see it. he called Rory so he could dispose of the body. His brother came as soon as he could. Ray explained the situation, Rory asserted this was the right course of action but wished Ray a speedy recovery from an unfortunate love. Rory discretely had the corpse of Sara Lance burned somewhere. Only when Rory had stepped through the door with the corpse did Ray exit the abandoned postal office.

The next day, it was reported the Canary had gone missing. As far as the New Reich citizens were concerned, Sara Lance was still missing. It nonetheless is a popular conspiracy that she had run into the Freedom Fighters and that they somehow had overpowered her. They were keeping her as a prisoner, or she became loyal to them, or they used her as a source of information (according to popular conspiracies). It similarly had crossed people's minds that she could have passed away or maybe was murdered, but the true circumstances of her death were never uncovered until now. And likewise, her sexuality had never been revealed to the public, either, until now.


	41. Conquest

Ray Palmer never officially nor unofficially joined the New Reichsmen. Instead of pursuing a military career like all of his classmates, he focused on science and engineering. Over these two years, he had almost perfected his A.T.O.M.-suit. He did not explicitly hand over this revolutionary shrinking technology to the New Reich, but he did give them the blueprints of his suit minus the shrinking tech. Oliver Queen himself had overseen the blueprints and had promised Ray he would never have to hand over 'secrets' he did not want to share with anyone – unless, of course, those secrets threatened the New Reich in any way.

After Sara's death, something broke. He did not feel like doing any work on the suit anymore. Not even Barry or Rory could persuade him to continue the work. His progress with this suit had been intrinsically tied to Sara, who had been there for him every step of the way. Now she's gone, he could not find the courage to finish what he had started, even if the result he had been working towards was within reach if he just extended his hand far enough.

He could not work on other inventions either, so he turned to humanitarian causes instead. Those were his plans, he had to do something in life. Such as, provide help for injured veterans. Give everyone – even minorities – access to good healthcare. Raise the poorest citizens to an acceptable level of middle-class wealth. In short: make the New Reich greater: not by expanding territory, but by stabilizing the broken society he had grown up in. Ray had the funds, he only needed to invest in these good causes.

Laure often came to visit. They regularly saw each other as friends and talked about Sara, often avoiding the unfortunate mistake she'd made and instead of keeping a positive memory alive. The Sara in their minds had made a dire mistake and paid the price for it; the Sara in their minds hadn't initiated it and showed sorrow and disdain for her actions. This Sara slowly replaced who she had been in her last moments in the postal office.

Two years after the Canary officially went missing, Oliver Queen left to conquer Earth-1. Ray was asked if he wanted to join them as a technological expert. Ray declined the offer and also refused to lend him Steel. In a similar vein, Laurel never responded to the call for action; some New Reichsmen needed to stay behind to keep the peace and the Siren was one of those New Reichsmen. She did wish Tommy good luck, hoping to see him again.

But she would never get the chance. Two days into the expedition, Ray found Laurel at his door. She too had been able to track Tommy's heartbeat with a device. The only place where she would find solace after his death was the Palmer home. Ray took her in and invited her to stay for as long as she needed. In the end, Laurel stayed one week before disappearing, probably drowning herself in work.

One month into the campaign, Thea Merlyn announced that both the Führer and his wife had passed away. This came as a great shock to everyone, including Ray. He had believed they were making stellar progress as they went through the Earth-1 American continent. But that could not be further from the truth – they were killed by the villains, the evil döppelgangers. In the same breath, Thea also announced she would be the new Führer.

Many opponents rose, especially misogynistic people who believed she would not be fit to rule, purely based on the fact that she was a woman (or 'girl', as these candidates described her). ray had learned Thea persuaded them one by one to stop saying these things and to drop out of the race, threatening to reveal their deepest secret to the public – secrets that could destroy their reputation, that would make it harder for them to do anything without being associated with their respective scandals.

So, they remained quiet. Ray did not.

Like most men, Ray saw Thea's weaknesses as a leader, but he also managed to see her strengths. She had been able to diffuse a difficult situation without violence. She could placate the people and took power without much, if any, resistance. despite her physical prowess and her almost being Oliver's equal in archery, she preferred not to show herself as too violent. She played into being the girl leader who does not like violence, which was a brilliant move.

Still, Ray did not like how she treated her people. Her short-term plans included increasing pressure in Australia, fewer people in prison camps and more specialized camps for the different kinds of rebels, as well as the reintroduction of the obligatory military service. After hearing her points, Ray jumped up and shared his own ideas with the people. His ideas were based on fixing the New Reich as he knew it. He wanted to improve living conditions for the citizens they had, instead of adding more people to the total population. He would continue the Australia campaign, but it would take a back-seat to helping out their citizens first. He wanted to fix the infrastructure in poverty-stricken areas and improve public transportation, giving them a better chance of finding and keeping a job a little further from home. In the long run, people would have better chances to rise out of poverty. In addition to this, the New Reich citizens like his state-sponsored high school and higher education plans, while they were less excited about mandatory healthcare for all. Despite this minor hiccup, the people liked that Ray spoke for the citizens instead of needlessly continuing a war.

His final talking point was set to make a big change within the New Reich. Since Thea did not want to give the Führer title away and since many people wanted Ray to have a chance, Ray carefully steered the conversation towards the possibility of a general election with them as the only two candidates. I should note that Ray did not want this authoritarian system to turn into a democracy, but he did not mind that the people could vote this once to determine who would hold the title of Führer until their death or abdication.

The idea quickly spread among the citizens. They liked the freedom to decide in which direction the country would go. This idea of an election was also later addressed by miss Merlyn. The interim-Führer agreed and called for the elections to be held in three months, which should be enough time to get as many votes as possible.

Now both Ray and Thea could only wait.


	42. Part IV: Earth-X

This part is the shortest and final part of this book. Instead of looking at individuals who made a difference or looking at the history of three major families as well as one minor family, we will dive deeper into actual changes made to make the Fall of the New Reich possible. This is the culmination of everything that has happened beforehand and its result is the reason why I wrote this book: free speech in a free country, and writing a history book that isn't as dry because of content or recent occurrences.

The first chapter will detail what happened during the three months running up to the election of the Führer. In those three months, many events began that triggered other events, which will greatly impact what happened after the election. This time after will be described in chapter two, along with every step that would turn the New Reich into the Republic of America. The final chapter will take a look at the world beyond the Reich or Republic and how its fall has impacted many countries all over the globe.


	43. Fall of the New Reich

The campaign was kick-started with events held in Star City. Since neither of the candidates had any idea how to launch a campaign, how to organize and hold these events, they both started rather clumsily. They had made the same number of mistakes regarding organization and event planning. But the people also had no idea what was to be expected of a campaign and which mistakes people could make, they easily forgave the candidates or didn't notice these mistakes.

Ray and Thea both made pamphlets with their own brilliant ideas for the New Reich or with damning information about the other candidate. They printed posters and either told or bribed private citizens into hanging them on their front doors, windows, or lawns. They also extended their campaigns to the internet, with ads on every website.

As far as I understand it, there are two major differences with the way the New Reich oversaw the campaign as compared to the United States of Earth-1 (if we don't take into account how long a campaign usually lasts). The first thing is that Ray and Thea never directly faced each other in a debate. They held their rallies and appeared at public events, but never did they stand face-to-face with a moderator asking questions. Secondly, to ensure every voice is heard and the process is fair, everyone above the age of sixteen must cast their vote. The New Reich's citizen register would be used to see who voted and to punish those who did not. This way, nobody could complain about the wrong person being elected as Führer based on voter turnout. The only one they could complain about would be the new Führer or the system implemented to elect them. and those were the two things citizens would not dare to criticize.

These events happened during the three months that Thea and Ray were allowed to campaign, mainly January to March 31, 2018.

Almost immediately after the candidates launched their campaigns, General Schott gave the command for his men to go out on the streets. They did not act out nor did they attack anyone, but their sporadic and vocal presence did keep the government on their toes. Whenever military or police arrived on the scene to arrest them, they would go into hiding until the military and police were gone. These people never did anything illegal, but the police and military were still allowed to use lethal force.

The Freedom Fighters' presence also meant a heightened military and police presence. As a result, the citizens would not feel as safe on the streets. They were used to police and military marching out on the streets, but not to such an extent as was happening now, with almost triple the number of soldiers or officers. It was a phenomenon they were not familiar with. At the end of January, conflicts escalated as some Freedom Fighters became bolder in their actions and the military reacted accordingly.

At one point, Blitzkrieg had decided to end the fighting and showed up. The Flash also came and countered Blitzkrieg's attacks. During the last week of January, the Flash and Blitzkrieg fought each other at least ten times with little time to recover from the attack. Blitzkrieg often initiated the battles, while the Flash protected the Freedom Fighters. Just once did the Flash attack the military first and force Blitzkrieg to retaliate.

Both Thea Merlyn and Ray Palmer condemned the Freedom Fighters' behavior and made the eradication of the rebels an intrinsic part of their campaign promises. Miss Merlyn, as acting Führer, also promised to take immediate action against the Freedom Fighters and authorized violent actions to stop them, since the rebels were 'disturbing the peace'. After this announcement, the Freedom Fighters slowed their efforts and Blitzkrieg no longer deemed it necessary to intervene – the Flash no longer appeared as well, because of Blitzkrieg not returning.

At the beginning of February, some concerning news came from Australia and reached the New Reich government. Even though they had already captured the east coast of Australia, including their capital, a couple of months ago, the Australian military was striking back. Some well-planned airstrikes, as well as surprise attacks down in Adelaide, caused trouble for New Reich troops. The attacks were so persistent, the Australian military managed to recapture Adelaide and the New Reich troops had to fall back.

The report was bleak. About thirty percent of the troops were killed in the attacks and forty more percent were injured. This counts those who only suffered scratches as well as those who were mortally wounded at the time this report was written. Morale was dropping at an alarming rate, even in the areas where the Australians hadn't dared to strike back. Action needed to be taken quickly to bring up morale, have a win and hit the Australians where it hurts. Taking back Adelaide was a top priority, as well as eliminating the indigenous non-white people of the Australian inland.

Thea Merlyn had her top military advisor deal with this situation. Disregarding what the troops there may have wanted and thinking only of a quick victory for the New Reich, the advisor decided to push back harder with more weapons and more troops. One of the men who would lead a small battalion in the north of Australia was Quentin Lance.

At around the same time this news arrived, Leonard Snart returned from his adventurous escapades with the Earth-1 time-traveling heroes. Freedom Fighter Ray Terrill was excited to see his boyfriend return home safely. The next day, they were engaged to marry. They did decide to put it off until the New Reich was peaceful and no longer controlled by the current homophobic government.

Thea Merlyn's decision to violently hit back in the streets was taking a toll on the Freedom Fighters. Within the population, support for the rebels grew. Riots happened out of the blue – the people came to the streets to support their local Freedom Fighter from the police and military, which often ended in violence, riots, destruction of private property and looting. Miss Merlyn's actions seemed to have the opposite result of what she intended. Support did not weaken but grew.

During one of these riots mid-February, the military special forces were called. Shots were fired, innocent people were killed. One of the non-lethal casualties was general Winn Schott. He was lucky another Freedom fighter was nearby to take him to safety, to a doctor that was sympathetic to the cause. General Schott did not immediately wake up – it seemed he was alive, but barely.

A power vacuum was created within the Freedom Fighters. It only lasted for three days, when an experienced fighter took the position. Mari McCabe, one of the five on David Palmer's list, took the leader position without much infighting. The Freedom Fighters knew to put any squabbles behind themselves to allow Mari to lead, at least until general Schott had recovered from his wound and woke up.

The last major event of February concerned a camp break-out. Felicity Smoak, who survived the camp until November of 2017, has been sent to Quentin Lance, who wanted to test the Führer – as portrayed by Earth-1 Oliver Queen – on his ruthlessness. Felicity was given a gun and ran. She had been missing ever since, though she has not been quiet. While she did stay low, she finally appeared on the Bew Reich's radar again when she attempted to storm one of the prison camps near Star City, where her mother was supposedly held. Along with some men, she succeeded in freeing many prisoners. Still, the escaped prisoners would all be caught or were killed by the end of March. Felicity remained out of the New Reich's hands.

This break-out sparked a national debate on what to do about the prison camps; whether they became more full and needed to build more or whether they needed more guards to guard the increasing prison population. They did not come to an immediate conclusion and this would also become one of their main campaign talking points, leaning heavily into military involvement on friendly or foreign soil. Even if that had little to do with prison camps other than the military having to guard those prison camps.

At the start of March, the final campaign month, tensions in the streets rose again. Clear factions were not only forming based on whether you supported the rebels or not, but also based on which candidate you supported. Supporters of miss Merlyn may start to harass and attack the supporters of Mr. Palmer, and vice versa. It became such a problem that both candidates filmed ads that condemned the violent actions of their supporters and called for compassion. They stated their supporters shouldn't attack someone for their candidate preference. Still, animosity was baked into this society and so they instead called for violence against rebels. The ads only had a minimal reach and not minimal impact; not much changed.

To keep the peace, Ray Palmer and Thea Merlyn sent Steel and Roy Harper to the streets to discourage their respective supporters from hurting the other the same time, the Freedom Fighters and military were also on the streets. Both the henchmen almost lost their lives to some zealous Freedom Fighters who saw their chance. These Freedom Fighters were never found and Roy and Steel recovered from their wounds easily.

At one point, during the second week of March, the tensions rose high enough for Rory to return from Nicaragua and try to defuse tensions in the region where he originally came from. Rory had not expected that his appearance there would cause such a riot that the people from the neighborhood overwhelmed him and knocked him out. Freedom Fighters that were nearby could prevent them from killing the Ragman.

The Freedom Fighters took the rags from the young man and made him a prisoner. They were smart enough to keep the rags at a different facility than Rory, so that if he were to escape, he would not have immediate access to his rags. It was to Rory's disadvantage and as insurance to keep Freedom Fighters safe.

Rory Regan escaped too quickly for any rebel's liking. He took some lives as he fled from the facility ten days later, but he did not find his rags. The three people who knew where they were, were set to move to another part of the country soon. The rags were also unlisted in the inventory; its box warned for dangerous contents and not to open at any cost. The Freedom Fighters guarding this box would obey – as of writing this chapter, we know this box exists, but the rags themselves haven't been found yet. Rory returned to his brother with minimal injuries, but with a damaged pride and a newly ignited grudge against the Freedom Fighters.

The strangest and most important event of this three-month campaign was the second coming of Earth-1 heroes during the last two weeks of March.

According to testimonies from these heroes – or "Legends", as they called themselves – they came to this Earth when Earth-X's Rip Hunter had kidnapped their Sara Lance and stole their jumpship to get back in favor with Ray Palmer. This did not affect Rip Hunter in any way, for he was disposed of again. Ray did keep the gifts that Rip Hunter had presented to him.

Half of the Legends, upon arriving on Earth-X, went to rescue Sara while the other half remained with the Freedom Fighters. There they met Mari, general Schott, Ray Terrill and their old friend Leo Snart.

The Legends who went to rescue Sara failed, though they were able to free Steel from the white room – all this at the cost of the Earth-1 döppelganger of Ray Palmer, who was captured himself. Dr. Palmer from our world kept the two prisoners as trophies; it is unknown whether he wanted this Sara to be his new partner, for this was never confirmed.

In the meantime, Steel caused trouble at the Freedom Fighter base. He did nothing unless people explicitly told him to, including going to sleep or even eating. His presence alone riled up many Freedom Fighters, who saw Steel as their enemy and who might be tempted to tell him to jump off a cliff. Steel was primarily protected by his Earth-1 döppelganger and Mari McCabe, who were willing to vouch for Steel.

Steel became Mari McCabe's pet project to try to undo the brainwashing while the Freedom Fighters and the Legends tried to get their Ray and Sara back. This endeavor was meticulously planned to take into account many factors, but they had not counted on Steel actively making a choice.

Steel rapidly regained his speech (he was almost non-verbal), critical thoughts and a free will that closely aligned with what his adopted brother wanted. He expressed the need to return home to Ray, who had done nothing to stop the brainwashing. They had to lock Steel's door so that he did not run back to his brother to betray the Freedom Fighters.

In the meantime, miss Merlyn learned her opponent had taken two Earth-1 heroes hostage and requested they be placed under the care and supervision of the New Reich. Dr. Palmer refused. They did plan to meet up at a remote location, a park outside of Star City, where they would have privacy. Dr. Palmer revealed these plans to his prisoners on the eve of their escape.

The Legends' own speedster found Sara and Ray on the streets and returned them to the Freedom Fighters. The two notified general Schott about the meeting. The General planned an attack while the Legends were free to go home, now they had retrieved their missing members. However, their Nate Heywood wanted to stay a little longer because he worried about Steel.

Nate was rightly worried – Steel broke free and went to the location of the meeting, where there was a possibility he would betray the Freedom Fighters' main base location. Their plans had to be rushed, now their loose cannon had freed himself.

Dr. Palmer and miss Merlyn, accompanied by Roy Harper, had arrived in the park, three days before the election would take place. At the same time, the Freedom Fighters, Legends, and Steel arrived on the scene as well. a fight broke out in the park. It did not last very long, but it did have a great impact on the course of the New Reich.

Too many things happened and there is no surveillance footage to go over – the park is a literal blindspot of the Star City security camera grid. Still, I will attempt to describe the most important parts of what happened.

The Freedom Fighters managed to take down many of the security guards of miss Merlyn and Mr. Palmer, but they did not succeed in killing the two candidates or even capturing them. Steel, in the end, had not come to betray the Freedom Fighters, but to confront his brother about the truth now that he had regained a little bit of agency. Sara found herself backed into a corner and was almost killed by Roy Harper, but Mr. Palmer killed him before Roy could strike. He also allowed Sara to escape with her life; he described it later as "a moment of weakness". Furthermore, miss Merlyn was shot by one of Mr. Palmer's surviving and rather fanatical security guards. The Legends eventually returned home after general Schott convinced them they could handle the situation, and so did Mr. Palmer.

The press learned of what happened in the park through eyewitnesses. But what they remembered did not match the reality of what happened. these witnesses believed it was Ray Palmer himself who had murdered miss Merlyn, instead of one of the security guards injuring her. When they learned this, the citizens rioted yet again, especially Thea's supporters and Ray's supporters who felt betrayed.

This time, there was nothing the military could do about the overwhelming numbers that came to the streets to protest against Ray Palmer – or, if they were Freedom Fighters, against the New Reich in general. Those who still wanted to see Mr. Palmer as their Führer met the protesters and professed their support for their favorite candidate. The two groups clashed and when the police and military forces tried to keep the peace, the rioters turned on them and attacked.

One of the military generals on the scene authorized the use of lethal force of both military and police to keep the riots under control. That evening, on the 29th of March, many people lost their lives and many more were injured. There was no discrimination; supporters of Thea or Ray, black or white or otherwise, everyone was equally targeted.

General Schott saw his chance and stepped up. His Freedom Fighters largely remained out of the rioting crowds. Now, most of the Star City military was on the streets, General Schott attacked the Star City military headquarters and captured the base. He then filmed a message for the nation, exposing all the dirty military secrets they had found in the base and, subsequently, the many secrets the New Reich had kept from the public at large.

This was the first step in taking back the nation for the people and dethroning the current regime. That day, barely two days before a new Führer would be elected, was one of the big pivot moments necessary for the fall of the New Reich.


	44. Republic of America

In the previous chapter, we looked at what could later be described as the Fall of the New Reich. As a governmental institution, it still existed where we left off. Everything described in this chapter will not necessarily be attributed to the Fall of the New Reich alone, but I predict it will be examined as the founding of a new nation that would later be known as the Republic of America.

* * *

We left off with General Schott, who – now fully recovered from old wounds – stepped up and took control of the main military headquarters in Star City where most of the military leaders usually worked from. He attacked at the same time soldiers in the streets tried to stop the riots by killing everyone on sight. That evening, the General had sent out a message to the people in which he revealed all military and New Reich secrets, such as how many people had died in active duty instead of being missing, all unknown horrors of the prison camps and military spending -an incredulous amount of money was spent on the already strong military, which could have been used to finance better education and infrastructure.

The next day, the Freedom Fighters took over the Führer's office and his home. They arrested Ray Palmer as well as Thea Merlyn (guards were placed in- and outside of her hospital room) and they executed some of the cruelest advisors in the Führer's council.

Now most of the leadership that adhered to the current totalitarian regime, General Schott took control as the temporary leader of the nation of April 2nd. Only the rebels and those who supported the rebels were happy to see him there; the others – a group that consisted of white upper to middle-class citizens – did not like this change and would rather have a Führer who continued the traditions of this nation they had flourished in.

But the General made sure not to suddenly implement all necessary changes. He made a plan with some of his advisors to make sure this transition from totalitarian to democratic would slowly ease those who weren't content with the changes into the idea of the Republic. It began with freeing those who had been wrongly imprisoned. The next phase included more rights for minorities, dismantling prison camps (but keeping the jails) and reforming the justice system as not to so heavily rely on the prison camps. Then, the focus turned to deprogramming people. They combatted the instilled propaganda with re-education programs, pamphlets and tv shows that would help, implicitly and explicitly, showcase the right type of behavior. In addition to this, education was heavily reformed so the youth would not be indoctrinated by New Reich textbooks and teachers. This would help ensure that, over the years, racism and misogyny and discrimination may become something of the past. They may not be able to eradicate it, but they could diminish the number of people who discriminated against others because they were well-off white straight people.

It would take a while to deprogram the people this way, though drafting and accepting laws would facilitate it. General Schott was no fool: people will still riot. People may take over the country in the name of the New Reich and attack the new government. Some soldiers with expertise may lead them. People took to the streets to protest, but there always were counter-protests, and nobody died because the police did their job without showing partiality. General Schott was still hopeful this new Republic would be tolerant one day, even if there was a high chance he would not be around to see it.

On the military level, they decided to dismantle the New Reichsmen program. It produced too many loyal members who pose a real threat to the new establishment. The Freedom Fighters joined those soldiers who did not particularly feel too bad about the New Reich as an institution being gone. Together, they hunted down the New Reichsmen still out there.

This was not as difficult as they thought it would be. Many New Reichsmen were more than happy to fight the Freedom Fighters unprepared, though none of them were apparently smart enough to group together and launch one big attack. this played out in the Freedom Fighters' favor, considering this enabled them to round up the New Reichsmen rather easily.

The Siren was one of the last remaining New Reichsman to be captured. She was good at evading capture, even with Ray Terrill and Leo Snart on her tail. This cat-and-mouse game was interrupted by Earth-1 Barry Allen, who asked Snart to help with an Earth-1 radioactive meta-human. Leo agreed and the Siren followed, which was a crucial mistake. She returned home a prisoner, and she was locked away in a cell that dampened powers, just like many of her meta-human colleagues.

During the week following these events, Ray Terrill and Leonard Snart got married. Recently, the Republic had legalized gay marriage to give minorities the same rights other citizens already enjoyed. General Schott was invited but did not show up because he was too busy. The Earth-1 Flash did show up, as did the Legends in support of their friend. The two men were legally wed and semi-retired from the Freedom Fighters. They lead a mostly normal rural life far away from the city.

For the time being, they did still fight people who were against this new institution. The riots were mostly kept under control by the police with the assistance of the Freedom Fighters – they were allowed to protest, but if it turned violent, the police would make sure nobody got hurt and the rioters did not do too much damage. The one thing these people could complain about was the fact that the police reprimanded them after they had shattered a window, hurt someone else or looted some store. That was on them, not on the Republic.

In the first half of May, Blitzkrieg finally decided to show up again in support of the New Reich, killing those who stood in his way and becoming the face of the traditionalist New Reich citizens who want things to stay the way they are. The Flash often fought him during this period and their fights often ended without a definitive winner; both of them would then speed away only to meet one another at a later date, where this cycle would continue.

Eventually, the Flash and Blitzkrieg fought their last fight in July of 2018. Blitzkrieg released such a high amount of energy, he unintentionally leveled a small village. Wally returned to see Blitzkrieg weakened, but Barry was still willing to fight. However, when Wally gained the upper hand, Blitzkrieg ran away without admitting defeat. It was the last time the Flash would defeat Blitzkrieg in combat, but not the last time they would see one another.

At the end of August, five months after General Schott seized power, the last New Reichsmen finally showed up. his name was Rory Regan and he had stayed under the radar by faking his death. He had been planning an attack on the new public Freedom Fighter building, that often was defaced and vandalized, but nobody had tried to put a bomb inside the building to blow it up yet.

That was Rory's plan. He came at a busy moment with the bomb in a backpack. He dropped it off somewhere inconspicuous, where it would explode, and mingled with the crowd a little before attempting to leave the building. However, someone had recognized him and tried to arrest him. it took five Freedom Fighters to subdue in, but Rory refused to be taken prisoner. He broke the cyanide tooth and died within seconds; the Freedom Fighters couldn't save him. They rightly assumed he did not come here just to walk around and found the bomb, defusing it before it could blow up.

When all of the above was happening, Steel was fighting the brainwashing and was getting extremely close to letting go of everything he was programmed to do. Mari McCabe has helped him greatly with his progress. He learned to trust her and all of the Freedom Fighters, as Mari had trusted him unconditionally. After learning of his successful deprogramming, no news of regarding Steel – or Nate Heywood, as he had started to call himself again – but it was rumored Nate and Mari had become romantically involved through the unofficial therapy sessions and that they were dating now. Mari does not speak of it and Nate specifically stated he did not want to be in the center of attention. He had led a life of suffering and did not want the media or anyone else to drag it out. He would like to stay out of the media to lead a calm and normal life, for as far as that was even possible anymore. Mari helped him with this and supported his decisions, explaining them whenever some reporter asked her what happened to this mystery soldier called Steel. The media fortunately have failed and still fail to make the connection between Nate Heywood and Steel.

Blitzkrieg, two weeks after he had last been seen fighting the Flash, crossed the ocean once again and left for Germany. It would be the last time he would return to Germany as a New Reich/American citizen. The Flash anticipated he would return home at one point, being the last Palmer brother still loyal to the New Reich.

But Blitzkrieg had been doing more in Germany beyond the diplomatic visits. He did not go to the New Reich embassy, but the house he had bought there. He met a nice woman who lived nearby with "good moral values", according to those who knew him well. He was not as loyal to the New Reich as he was to Germany, which had started to view as his home. Nobody suspected Barry Allen would openly denounce the New Reich for what it was becoming – he'd rather join a similar-minded country than to fight for the one that was "lost to the rebels".

Mr. Allen was not wrong – it was lost to the Freedom Fighters and the laws they tried to put into place, including fair elections on a city level. Mayors, previously appointed by a Führer-appointed state governor, were now to be democratically elected by the citizens.

One good example transpired within Star City itself. Against all odds, the way of living had already improved since General Schott came to power. Especially peculiar were the people vocally defending a possible candidate as soon as Schott signed the law into being. Their candidate was Adrian, District Attorney and highly involved with the meta-human population that refused to ally with the New Reich. Almost all of his clients, who were previously thrown in prison camps, had been released and Mr. Chase also helped the General draft some of the laws when asked.

But Adrian Chas did not want to be the mayor. Instead, keeping this new law in mind, he offered to help set up the election and he promised to run, but only if more candidates stepped forward. In the end, Chase ran against three other Star City natives. The campaign lasted a couple of weeks, so the city would finally have a mayor. A born leader called Sebastian Blood bested Adrian Chase by only a few percentage points and Star City then had a new, progressive mayor.

Around the time that mayor Blood took office, around the beginning of October, tragic news came back from Australia. Over these months, general Schott had to fight to bring soldiers home who were fighting abroad. The time of expansionism was over; these soldiers deserved to return to their loved ones. Yet, many commanders and general in South-America and Australia strongly adhered to New Reich doctrine and were not willing to obey this command. Slowly but surely, general Schott forced the soldiers stationed in South-America to come home, but the troops in Australia still did not listen. Soldiers who did want to go home risked being executed where they stood if they dared set foot in helicopters and boats sent by general Schott to take them back.

Australia had learned the New Reich was transforming into the Republic of America and saw a chance to take their country back. When half of the original number of troops had already returned, the Australians launched an all-out attack. they took back their country and fought a weakened resistance of remaining troops. Most of them were killed and those who surrendered were kept as war prisoners. Quentin Lance also lost his life here.

At the end of October, embassies came into the news. Their embassy in Germany did not want to follow the rules the General imposed. Though they were mostly guidelines, the Germans went out of their way to try and convert confused American diplomats to the German way. That was a bridge too far, for the American ambassador in Germany wasn't attempting to do something similar. The ambassador was briefly detained and the employees who approached the republic's citizens were sent home and were banned from the country for life.

Despite protests, General Schott did not close the embassy. In the future, possibly the near future, it would be important to have diplomatic ties to Germany, one of their main rivals on a global scale. It wasn't said with as many words, but the ambassadors were good hostages and middlemen between the Republic and Germany, should the two parties every need to make a trade deal, for example. They would be important in the long run, general Schott believed. So he refused to close the embassy, while keeping in touch with the American ambassador, ready to evacuate her should it be necessary.

In an official press release, on the tenth of November 2018, it was announced that Barry Allen had become a naturalized citizen of the German state. He had visited the Republican embassy to nullify his New Reich nationality; he was now fully German, and it was a sign that Mr. Allen may never set foot in the Republic of America again.

At long last, by the time 2019 rolled around and things had grown as peaceful as they had ever been, with no signs that it was going to go downhill soon. So general Schott stepped down from his position. He believed his job was done now they were finally ready to appoint a president to oversee the new senate, filled with mostly progressive senators and a couple of conservatives.

General Schott would not completely disappear. He would go on to become the Republic's first Commander-in-Chief. While the president controlled the legislative branch of government, everyone believed it would be best if the president did not also have the power to command the troops. Separating governmental powers from military powers would reduce the risk of a future president taking of the country with their own military. Similarly, the government could keep the military in check by passing legislation to prevent any future Commander-in-Chief from staging a coup and taking over. In many eyes, this was the best solution, even if it wasn't without flaws.

This was one of the last steps taken to solidify the Republic of America as a functioning country.


	45. Earth-X

The Fall of the New Reich and the rise of the Republic of America also changed the world as we know it. This is the most speculative chapter in the book because the world's borders and politics are still changing and forming. What I will discuss is how the world looks like as of June 2019, with some speculation on events. I would like to advise you to open an atlas and look up what the world truly looks like instead of taking my word for it. By the time you read this, this may be hopelessly dated, but may still provide an interesting snapshot of history.

Besides this, I will attempt to compare and contrast how Earth-X looks like now with Earth-1. Some Earth-1 friends have kindly given me maps so I can, to the best of my ability, paint a clear picture of Earth-X to my non-Earth-X readership.

I will start with the American continents; separated in sub-continents North America and South America. North America contains Earth-1's United States, Canada, Mexico, and the many countries that geopolitically belong to Central America, as well as different islands in the Caribbean. South America starts then where Panama borders Colombia.

The biggest difference is that the Republic of America is substantially larger than the United States. The Republic comprises what Earth-1 readers know as Canada, the United States and its territories, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras, as well as Cuba and the Dominican Republic. From Nicaragua southwards, the countries of Central and South America have remained pseudo-independent in a system, not unlike the former British Commonwealth. The countries have the power themselves, but they ultimately have to answer to the New Reich's Führer.

This is the biggest reason soldiers were sent to South America. Not to trample a blooming rebellion, as the previous government tried to make its people believe, but to march through the streets to intimidate anyone who ever tried to instigate a rebellion against the New Reich, including disobedience from local governments. It was an effective method that resulted in laws largely corresponding with New Reich laws.

These countries were still very much intimidated by the Republic of America when it was founded and when the troops had long returned home. The Republic's president had taken it upon himself to visit each country on the American continent that had been intimidated into being a vassal state. Once there, he signed an agreement that ensured the Republic's political involvement would be a crime in both countries. They prohibited citizens of the Republic from holding any position of power in these countries (unless they were naturalized citizens) and in the Republic, politicians were not allowed to influence any citizens of these countries to take certain actions during elections. Only time will tell whether this strategy is viable and whether it ensures the Republic won't dominate them any longer. I suspect it is a good short-term solution; but for the long term, when the New Reich becomes less of living memory, it may become a problem.

The most important take-away is that these countries have their autonomy back and that the Republic will not be involved in these countries at all unless they asked for help themselves.

Now we move on to Europe. After the Second Great War, Germany or Italy occupied the European countries. Sandwiched between these empires is Switzerland, a country that remained neutral and played their cards just right to still be an independent nation. Italy encompasses all of southern Europe, including Spain and Portugal, Yugoslavia and Greece, all the way to Hungary and Romania. Germany had seized control of Northern Europe. This included the British Isles, Iceland, and the Scandinavian countries. The Soviet Union had taken over the Baltic states and captured some more miles inside the European continent.

The Republic of America has little influence on European states. But the diplomatic relationships had changed remarkably. There were better diplomatic relations with Switzerland, who had not reached out to the continent of America since it found safety in being the mediator between Italy and Germany. The Republic's president saw it as a priority to have an ally in Europe, even if Italy and Germany weren't willing to cooperate beyond meager trade agreements.

The Middle East has been largely left alone, though these nations there grew with the European example to look up to. They saw successful expansions and how a nation really could thrive, to the example of the New Reich and Germany. It is one big country, though many sources do not agree on the name, since many regions adopted different names for the nation that emerged. In the Republic, they know it simply as Arabia, while they may call their country something different.

The continent of Africa has been in turmoil for most of the time the Republic was still the New Reich. Italy had seized control of the utmost northern countries, almost turning the Mediterranean Sea into Their Sea again. Germany tried to colonize the southern countries, but Italy dissuaded them from doing anything but building adequate ports. But Germany already had a lot of territories and was barely keeping their growing population satisfied and under control; they did not want to add revolting Africans to their long list of problems.

So, Africa remained largely the same. Some countries were accepted and recognized by the other largest nations one way or another and I can state that most of the countries on the Earth-1 map came into being on Earth-X. It may not have been the exact same way since it had less European involvement in the twentieth century and was left to their own devices after the Second Great War, but the result was still similar enough.

I have not yet spoken about Asia or Oceania, largely because they have remained the same since the Second Great War began. North Korea went to war with South Korea, ending in a stalemate; a peace agreement has not yet been formally signed. The islands around Oceania that were under Japanese control remained under that control, but those the New Reich had conquered regained their freedom. Australia has been growing into a better economy and a better living standard since the Republic had left the continent and its people alone. The Australian government has not yet replied to the promise of a trade agreement and a better diplomatic relationship with the Republic of America. I believe that eventually, when some years have passed, they will reach out to the Republic, as it is always helpful to have an ally. It is also understandable they wouldn't want to reach out just yet, the trauma of being invaded still fresh in their minds.

* * *

This is how Earth-X looks like as of June 2019. These situations described in this part will change again. As I am writing this, I may have made some mistakes, for I am not completely up to date with the recent developments in regions that were not to the old Reich's interest. Some historical sources I used had been written by people belonging to the old regime and thus are biased. Still, I hope that I was mostly correct in the information I shared here.

As I am writing this, it is still unknown what the future holds for the Republic of America or any of the other countries discussed here. After publication, this book and especially this part will be redundant and outdated. That is inevitable, things always change and I cannot account for any future events, though I wish I could.

But though I mind accuracy, this detailed description wasn't the main goal of this book. The world (the multi-verse) now has a document that describes exactly how the New Reich fell. The multi-verse can learn about Earth-X, that even the evilest of empires can fall, given the circumstances are just right. Even if this part is outdated, people will see to have hope. And that is most important to me.


End file.
